Wheaton woman wins $250,000 in lottery

A Wheaton woman has scratched her way to a chance for a new home.

Sandy McDuffee won $250,000 in the Illinois Lottery after scratching a winning Crossword ticket. According to a news release from the Illinois Lottery, she plans to buy a house with her winnings.

The release said McDuffee bought her winning ticket at 7-Eleven, 0S027 Winfield Road, in Winfield.

She said in the release, "I like the Crossword ticket because it takes a while to play and it's entertaining."

At first, she thought she had won a $25,000 prize.

But after the clerk scanned her ticket, she realized she had crossed herself up.

"I was shocked when the clerk said I actually won $250,000," she said. "I started shaking like a leaf."

According to the lottery, she immediately signed the back of the ticket, put it in her purse and drove to the Illinois Lottery Prize Center in Des Plaines to claim her prize.

7-Eleven received $2,500, 1 percent of the prize amount, for selling the winning ticket. The $250,000 Crossword is a $10 instant ticket with a top prize of $250,000.

Of the 16 top prizes available, 12 have not yet been claimed.