DENVER -- An Arvada, Colo., couple decided to check their unclaimed lottery tickets after hearing that a June 8 Lotto drawing had a $4.6 million unclaimed prize.
Richard and Leslie Crosby went through their unchecked tickets and found the winning ticket. They verified the ticket at 11:17 p.m., less than an hour before the prize payout was set to expire.
"We are pretty dumbfounded," Leslie Crosby said Tuesday.
The couple plays the lottery every Wednesday and Saturday, according to lottery officials.
They chose the cash option of the prize, and walked away with a check for $1,628,204, which they plan to invest.
The 180-day waiting period was set to expire for the winning ticket and lottery officials were beginning to think it wouldn't be claimed.
"We were certainly surprised someone claimed it," said Kristen Shew, Colorado Lottery spokeswoman. "We thought someone had just forgotten about it."
The couple heard about the unclaimed prize on a television newscast and that's what prompted them to re-check their unclaimed tickets.
Rich, 46, works as a truck driver, and Leslie, 36, works at a real estate title company.
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