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Chevrolet Giving New Truck To Texas Teen Whose Pickup Was Destroyed By Tornado

Earlier this week, a tornado outbreak wreaked havoc in Texas and Oklahoma, causing immeasurable damage, killing one person, and injuring at least 10 others. An astounding 20 tornados were reported by citizens on Monday night, 19 of which were in central and northern Texas. One person affected by these devastating storms was Riley Leon, a teenage driver whose Chevrolet truck was lifted and spun by a tornado.

While this was no doubt a horrifying incident, Riley Leon is an incredibly lucky kid. Not only did he escape the ordeal without any serious injuries but Chevrolet is giving him a brand new truck.

What to Know:

  • Austin native Riley Leon was trapped in a twister while driving in his Chevy truck
  • Leon made it out of the incident relatively unharmed
  • Chevrolet is gifting the teen a new truck to replace the one totaled by a tornado

Riley Leon’s Chevrolet Truck Was Almost Taken by a Tornado

Riley Leon was just trying to get home after his job interview at the Whataburger in town when disaster struck. The teenage driver was navigating through heavy rain and wind when his truck was picked up by a passing tornado. Luckily, the truck wasn’t lifted and thrown. However, the tornado was powerful enough to flip the truck onto its side and spin it around.

Miraculously, the truck was then lifted back upright, allowing the young driver to pull onto the side of the road. “When everything stopped, I drove off to the side of the road to get out of the way. I called my mom. I was like, ‘Mom, the tornado took me,’” Riley said. The teen’s mother initially assumed he was exaggerating but soon realized he was lucky to be alive.

The only thing upsetting Riley Leon is the loss of his beloved truck. “It was family,” Leon said. “That truck helped me and my dad get to where we are at now. To see that it’s gone, it brings a lot of tears to me.”

Thanks to Bruce Lowrie Chevrolet, however, Leon won’t be without a vehicle for very long.

Chevrolet Gifting the Young Driver a 2022 Silverado

Though being spun by a tornado is no one’s idea of a good time, Riley Leon is undeniably fortunate. The entire driver’s side of his Chevy truck was dented, of course, but the driver escaped with only a fracture. Not only that but it appears he’s also getting that job at Whataburger!

And if that wasn’t enough, Leon was then contacted by Randall Shapiro, the dealership president at Bruce Lowrie Chevrolet. Why? To offer the teen a brand new Cherry Red Silverado 1500 All Star edition.

According to Randall Shapiro, he felt inspired to contact the teen the moment he saw the clip of the truck spinning in the tornado. After tracking the teen down and convincing him that it wasn’t a scam, Shapiro made his offer.

“We are thankful Riley is safe [and] commend his driving skills during a frightening situation. Our hearts are with other families in Texas that have been affected by these storms,” Chevrolet officials said.

In addition to gifting Riley Leon the beautiful truck, Chevrolet is also donating to the American Red Cross through their Chevy Cares program to help those affected by the catastrophic storms.