Half-Million-Dollar Lottery Ticket Sold in Upper Milford

Happen to fill your gas tank at the along Route 29 in Upper Milford Township earlier this week and ask them to print you out a Pennsylvania Lottery ticket?

Did you skip the gas on Tuesday, but did you make it a point to play your favorite numbers at Hess, hoping to hit it lucky so you could quit your job?

Either way, if you played the Cash 5 game at the 4002 Chestnut St. station in time for Tuesday's drawing, check those tickets. You may be a winner.

According to the Pennsylvania Lottery, the winning ticket was sold at that gas station and convenience store. The winning ticket matched the five balls drawn: 05-07-23-35-43. The winner will receive $496,017.50, minus the 25 percent federal withholding tax.

Ready to quit that job anyway in anticipation of playing and winning on another day? Bear in mind that Lottery officials said the odds of this player winning by matching all five balls this week were 1 in 962,598.

For its part, the Hess station will receive a $500 bonus for selling the winning ticket, Lottery officials said.

The winner has one year from the drawing date to claim the prize, Lottery officials said.

Think you bought the winner? Here's what to do:

* Sign the back of the ticket.

* Call the Lottery at 717-702-8146.

* File a claim at Lottery headquarters in Middletown, Dauphin County, or any of the Lottery's seven area offices. (Claims may be reported at Lottery headquarters weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and in area offices weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 a.m.)

* Contact Patch to tell us your good news.

Think the lucky only live elsewhere? Lottery officials said that Lehigh County players won $42.2 million in state prizes in fiscal 2010-11. The Pennsylvania Lottery also contributed more than $25.8 million to programs serving the county's older residents.