By now, you’ve probably seen the video of Riley Leon, the 16-year-old behind the wheel of a red truck driving to escape from Monday’s tornado – only to be flipped upright, spun around, and tossed on its side. According to an initial report released by the National Weather Service, the twister was an EF-2, which means it had a wind speed of about 115 mph.
Omg… just going thru my video. This is a story about a red truck and a tornado…. I CANNOT believe they drove away like that. #txwx #tornado pic.twitter.com/8h0nD88xFv
— Brian Emfinger (@brianemfinger) March 22, 2022
Indeed, it was a ride of a lifetime that Leon miraculously survived. “That was my first time in a tornado, and hopefully that’s my last time,” the teen said about the incident, who was driving back home from a job interview at a Texas fast-food chain Whataburger. The entire inexplicable incident was captured on video by storm chaser Brian Emfinger and has since become viral.
Here’s Some Good News
Not only did Riley Leon’s viral video reap millions of views, but it also snagged the attention of Bruce Lowrie Chevrolet in Fort Worth. The North Texas Chevy dealer gifted Leon a 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LT All-Star Edition in Cherry Red to replace the one destroyed by the twister.
With his family beside him, Leon received the keys to his new ride. A check amounting to $15,000 was also presented to Leon as an additional gift to him and his family. And for the best part, Leon landed the job he applied for at Whataburger! Indeed, the brand-new truck is just right in time!
But you might be wondering what will happen now with his old truck. Well, there’s nothing as strong as a tornado that can separate Leon from his prized pickup. The teen revealed he already has plans of fixing it and can never let it go. After all, the truck has a lot of sentimental value to him, and they’ve been through the toughest time.
Watch the video below where Riley Leon accepts the keys to his new truck and was surprised with a $15,000 cheque.
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