Raleigh man wins $250,000 in Mega Millions drawing

Eliezer Vazquez said he plans to pay off his car and student loans with the money he won in the March 30 drawing.

Vazquez learned of his win the morning after the drawing, when he checked his numbers on the lottery’s website. He purchased the ticket at Kroger on Six Forks Road in Raleigh.

“I wasn’t sure I was seeing it correctly on the screen,” Vazquez said in a statement. “But it finally clicked that I’d won. I’m happy. There’s no other way to describe this feeling.”

Vazquez received a check for $170,002 after state and federal taxes were withheld.

Officials said the North Carolina Education Lottery has raised more than $2.45 billion for education programs statewide. Wake County has received more than $145.8 million in funds.