Man dies in freak accident before winning $14.5m lottery

A man who died in a freak accident on New Year's Day was totally unaware he had won a share of a $14.5m lottery.

On January 7, Andrew Gillon, 59, from Scotland died unexpectedly during surgery after a fall which broke his neck on New Year's Day, the Daily Record reported.

Mr Gillon's daughter Lisa Thomas, 32, said her family was devastated by the death, however, she was shocked to find out her dad had won big in Scotland's Post Code Lottery Jackpot.

Along with his former neighbour's in Wishaw, Mr Gillon had won a share of £7.9 million ($A14.5 million).

Ms Thomas later found out her father had won £8092 ($A14,870).

When Mr Gillon's friend and neighbour told Ms Thomas, she initially thought there was no way her dad could have won, as she had blocked his bank account.

Eventually, his win was confirmed and she was devastated because her father had played the postcode lottery for as long as she could remember, but he wouldn't get to enjoy his win.

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She recalled laughing at her father when he got a Christmas card from the lottery last year.

"All I remember him saying is, 'well you won't be laughing when I win!' and he was right I wasn't laughing, I was crying," she told the Daily Record.

Ms Thomas added she knows her father's first thought would have been to book a holiday for the family.

After collecting Mr Gillon's winnings, Ms Thomas said while the family hasn't decided exactly what they were going to do with it, a holiday to Florida was on the cards.

"That's where we got married and I have loads of amazing memories there with my dad," she told the Daily Record.

"I've been five times and never without my dad being there so it will be a sore one, but I know that's where he would want to go."

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