zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Culture
/
Chevrolet Donates New Truck To Teenager Who Drove Through Tornado
Chevrolet Donates New Truck To Teenager Who Drove Through Tornado-May 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:12:09

What was of 16-year-old Riley Leon’s short life, has been viewed millions of times on the internet. Video of his red Chevy truck being tossed around by a Texas tornado Monday went viral on Twitter. The battered truck was deemed a total loss but things are looking up Friday after Chevrolet announced it will work with a local dealership to gift Leon a replacement truck.

Leon was on his way home from a job interview at Whataburger when the tornado touched down on a road in Elgin, Texas. It was that tore through North and Central Texas earlier this week. Leon’s truck was knocked on its side, spun around and then, once righted, able to drive away.

While Leon did get the job at the Manor, Texas Whataburger, he was heartbroken by the loss of his truck. It was obviously still drivable, the smashed-in body and broken windows made the older truck a total loss to the insurance company, :

He provided a picture of the truck before it was smashed by the storm and earlier explained its a personal loss. “So it was family. That truck helped me and my dad get to where we are at now. To see that its gone, it brings a lot of tears to me,” said Leon.

Well, Leon and his hardworking family will have a whole new truck to make memories in. Chevrolet partnered with local dealer Bruce Lowrie Chevrolet in Fort Worth, Texas. He’s getting a brand new 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LT All Star Edition — a truck that regularly goes for over $40,000 a pop. Chevy is also donating an additional $50,000 to aid the American Red Cross disaster relief efforts in Texas.

Leon and his family will be picking up his truck this Saturday. A good move, considering this viral video is basically free advertising for the Silverado’s durability. At the time of this writing, the original video had been viewed 6.8 million times on the original tweet alone.

It’s been quite the week for Leon. On top of becoming an internet sensation for surviving a terrible event, he gets a brand new truck and a new job. Hopefully life calms down a bit for the teen.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Culture
Toyota Is Moving A Prewar 700-Ton Press Machine Halfway Around The World
Toyota Is Moving A Prewar 700-Ton Press Machine Halfway Around The World
closed its São Bernardo Plant in November 2023, marking the end of its first overseas production facility. The closure caps off a period of continuous car production in São Paolo, , lasting over 60 years. The plant was home to a Komatsu 700-ton press that predates itself. And now...
May 14, 2025
Watch ABS Fail When MotorWeek Tests A 1997 Chevy S-10
Watch ABS Fail When MotorWeek Tests A 1997 Chevy S-10
MotorWeek’s is some of the on the internet. The long-running automotive news magazine has a treasure trove of tests after being on the air for over 40 years. Where else can you find detailed instrumented testing of long-forgotten cars like the or a ? MotorWeek’s recent Retro Review upload is...
May 14, 2025
Subaru Had It Right All Along
Subaru Had It Right All Along
When first came to the United States, it sold small funky cars that were decidedly un-American. As the company grew its own identity and became more established in the U.S., it became the first automaker to offer an all-wheel-drive passenger car in 1975. Subaru was also an early-adopter of...
May 14, 2025
2024 Kia EV9: What Do You Want To Know?
2024 Kia EV9: What Do You Want To Know?
At long last, we are about to get behind the wheel of for the first time. Sure, , and sure, , and sure , but hey — what can you do? Anyway, before we get behind the wheel of this three-row electric beast, we want to know what you...
May 14, 2025
I Entered My Lifted Miata In A Real Off-Road Race, Here's What Happened
I Entered My Lifted Miata In A Real Off-Road Race, Here's What Happened
I have two automotive loves: The first is the Miata, the second is off-road racing. For a while I raced air-cooled Volkswagens in the deserts of California and Nevada and I was lucky enough to co-drive in a class 11 stock bug in the Baja 1000 a few years...
May 14, 2025
I Can't Get Enough Of This YouTuber Who Builds Tiny, Fully Functional Scale-Model Cars
I Can't Get Enough Of This YouTuber Who Builds Tiny, Fully Functional Scale-Model Cars
I love tiny, of . I have a that is roughly half the size of a normal cat, and she’s perfect. I own a 2013 , which is like the miniature version of a normal-sized vehicle (at least here in Texas) — but beyond that, I also own a Hot...
May 14, 2025
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved