lottery winner hit and run toronto

Former $1 million lottery winner charged in death of unhoused person in Toronto

A former lottery winner has been charged in a hit-and-run that killed an unhoused Toronto man last month.

Olateju Ogunwomoju, a 63-year-old Mississauga man who won a $1 million lottery prize in 2017, has been charged by Toronto Police in a November 14 early-morning hit-and-run incident that took the life of a 57-year-old man.

Police allege that Ogunwomoju — driving a black Ford Expedition — mounted the curb at the southeast corner of Scott Street and Wellington Street East, striking the victim, who was sleeping on a sidewalk, and then fleeing the scene.

Investigators apprehended Ogunwomoju later that day, though no charges were filed at the time. On December 6, Ogunwomoju was finally charged with failure to stop at an accident causing death. He is scheduled to appear in court on February 1.

The incident occurred just over six years after Ogunwomoju took home a massive $1 million prize in OLG's October 21, 2017 Lotto 6/49 draw.

At the time of his lottery win, Ogunwomoju — a recent arrival in the country — told OLG that "Canada has solidified its place as the land of opportunity."

"We've been here just under two years and I'm already a millionaire," Ogunwomoju told OLG while collecting his prize in Toronto a few days after his big win.

If the charges are proven in court, Ogunwomoju's story could prove just the latest instance of a fabled "lottery curse," a trend where misfortune seems to follow lottery winners.

Lead photo by

JHVEPhoto/Shutterstock


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