“Like a Rock” took on a whole new meaning for one Texas teen this week — and Chevy’s stepping in with a brand new truck.
It has certainly been a rough and tragic week for many living throughout the South, as the region endured severe storms and tornadoes ripping through their communities. One of the more dramatic (and fortunately not tragic) stories involved 16-year-old Riley Leon, who quite literally weathered a tornado in his 2004 Chevy Silverado. Now, although his truck survived and actually drove away from the incident, Chevrolet and a Fort Worth dealer are stepping in to give him a brand new truck.
In case you missed it, here’s a summary of what happened. On Monday, Mr. Leon was driving near Elgin, Texas, when he and his truck were caught in the twister, lifted off the road and tossed about like a toy. Amazingly, not only did he keep his composure during the terrifying incident, but actually drove away afterward, as caught by storm chaser Brian Emfinger:
What’s happening now
According to a later interview with KHOU 11, Leon was driving home from a Whataburger interview when he was caught up in the tornado. Fortunately, he is okay, and upon learning of the story, Chevy stepped in with dealer Bruce Lowrie Chevrolet to replace his surviving (but badly damaged) truck with a 2022 Silverado 1500 LT All Star Edition.
“We are thankful Riley is safe, commend his driving skills during a frightening situation, and our hears are with other families in Texas that have been affected by these storms,” the brand said in a statement, and as was reported by The Drive. Chevrolet also said it will donate $50,000 to the American Red Cross for disaster relief, to help others affected by the recent storms.
