Oregon Trucker wins $9M lottery, makes delivery on the way to collect

With driver appreciation week next week, we at Glostone want to salute a truck driver that Keeps America Moving. According to a FlashAlert sent out Wednesday, Eric Tackett of Sutherlin, OR dropped off a load of drywall on his way to Salem to collect his $9.4 million and his oversized check.

“It was on the way,” Tackett said.

Courtesy of Oregon Lottery

Tackett said he plans to continue to drive a truck, even as he becomes Oregon’s 256th Megabucks millionaire.

Eric and Beth Tackett drove their work truck to claim their $9.4 million Oregon’s Game Megabucks prize Tuesday.

According to OregonLive, Tackett was joined by his wife Beth, who frequently rides with him up and down I-5 and through the west on his runs for Smalley Trucking Company, hauling loads of steel. It was on such a run that the two stopped at the Coburg TA Truck Stop, where they bought the winning ticket.

“We know the lady who sold us the ticket,” said Tackett. “When she finds out she is going to freak out.”

The truck stop that sold the winning ticket gets a 1-percent selling bonus, which means the store will receive $94,000. Tackett decided to take the lump sum cash payment option, which means he will come away with around $3 million after taxes.

“I normally play Megabucks because you get two sets of numbers for $1,” said Tackett. The winning numbers were 4-6-15-21-38-40 for the Wednesday, Aug. 31, drawing. On Tackett’s ticket, which he bought for $5, one set of numbers matched all six and another matched three, which meant he could get a free Megabucks ticket, though he clearly didn’t need it at that point.

“Normally I win free tickets,” Tackett said. “I thought everyone was messing with me when they told me I won $9.4 million. I had Beth check the ticket more than 50 times on different computers and phones.”