Mistakes $59,000 for $5: Brampton rideshare driver can now pay the bills

Harrison Aghidi has been playing the lottery for a long time, and he was getting used to missing out on prizes.

But the Brampton rideshare driver had his luck change dramatically in the March 22 draw of Lotto 6/49.

A typical player who uses “quick pick” to make his selection, Aghidi was expecting the usual result when he checked one of his tickets.

“I was in my car when I scanned my ticket on the OLG app on my phone and thought I’d won a $5 prize. It wasn’t until later that I checked it again and realized it was actually $59,000!” Aghidi recounted while visiting the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto to pick up his windfall. “I was shocked and thought there was no way it could be real. I scanned my ticket over and over to confirm what I was seeing.”

The exact amount he won is $59,297.70, which is second-place prize money.

“I headed straight home and shared the news with my partner,” Aghidi said. “We were both overjoyed and feel truly blessed. Winning is incredibly exciting!”

Aghidi plans to use his winnings to pay off bills.

The winning ticket was purchased at Petro-Canada on Dufferin Street in Thornhill.