A KEY worker became a lucky worker when a Rugby truck driver found out about a life-changing National Lottery win while delivering essential supplies during the coronavirus pandemic.
Marcin Jedrzejewski, 40, was chatting with his mum from his lorry cab while taking a break at a service station when he found out he had won a £350,000 top prize on Lotto HotPicks.
Marcin said: “I usually buy a Lotto ticket for every draw and bought a ticket for Saturday June 6. I checked the balance on my account, and I noticed I had £1.40 left. I felt lucky and thought, ‘what can I buy for a pound?’ and found the Lotto HotPicks game. I quickly played a Lucky Dip and left it at that.
Marcin, who works night shifts as a self-employed lorry driver delivering all over the UK, decided to check his ticket while stopped at Watford Services in the early hours of Sunday morning (June 7).
“I was logged into my account while in the lorry park and I couldn’t believe what I saw. I always call my mother in Poland at the end of my shift or during a break, so I FaceTimed her.
“I told her I thought I had won but I wasn’t sure how much. She kept asking ‘how many zeroes?’ I checked out what was the top prize, but I kept thinking it couldn’t be true, it must be a joke. I then put the amount into a currency converter to check what the amount was in Polish Zloty and it said 1.7million!”
“I then drove home and called my sister in London to tell her my news. After that it was off to bed because I was working the following night, knowing that after my next shift I would call The National Lottery hotline to see if I had actually won.”
Marcin finished his Sunday night shift, having travelled 399km delivering more food supplies across the South East, before calling to claim his prize on Monday June 8.
He said: “It had been a long weekend of driving, exactly 1,522 km, delivering food and drinks across the UK.
“I called the people at The National Lottery and I couldn’t believe it. I have won £60 a few times before but never dreamed of winning this much. That afternoon, I called my mother and my sister to tell them the fantastic news that I was a big winner.”
Former London bus driver Marcin, who re-trained as a lorry driver and moved to Rugby in 2013, said he will spend his winnings on a new home.
He said: “After years of renting, I am going to buy a house in my new hometown of Rugby with no mortgage – this is what people dream of. And I will stay in the Rugby area due to my job and keep delivering across the UK during Covid-19 and beyond.
“The Rugby area has many distribution hubs and is a good place to be based for driving work. It’s also a nice place to live.”
He is also planning a belated 40th birthday party when it is safe to do so – having worked throughout the lockdown and been unable to celebrate the milestone at the end of May.
He said: “Every Christmas and birthday I travel to Poland to celebrate with my family. This year would have been extra special as in late May it was my 40th.
“But when the lockdown lifts and borders open, I will have an extra special party to celebrate my birthday and the win.
“At the moment, I will just keep working and delivering.”
