Teen got hit by tornado on his way home from job interview—then company's response blew his mind

The tornado had flipped his truck on the side and it looked difficult for him to get out of it.

PUBLISHED 7 HOURS AGO

(L) A man handing out his resume to a recruiter in his office. (R) A van heading towards a tornado. Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Left image by Narisara Nami and right image by Mike Hollingshead)

When a North Texas teen was stuck in a tornado, he didn't expect his life to change for the better. The 16-year-old boy, Riley Leon, was on his way back home from a job interview in 2022. Unfortunately, he got stuck in the middle of a tornado while driving his 2022 red Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck. The teen had no idea what he should do next. But thankfully, he could make it out of the tornado safe and alive. When Chevrolet learned about the incident, they gave Leon a big surprise, per NBC News.

Man getting worried after noticing something unusual on road. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images| Photo by Mariia Demchenko)

Leon had just given a job interview at Whataburger and was driving back home when his truck got flipped on its side during a tornado, according to a video. It was also spinning round and round at the spot and the teenager had no idea how to get out of the situation. "I honestly didn't know what to do, to grab onto the steering wheel or to start praying," Leon remarked. The truck was flipped onto its side and there was no way to escape. Fortunately, the tornado turned the truck back and the teen could get out. "On the video, it looks like I drove off, but in reality, I didn't. I landed in the center of the road and I was just driving to get off the road."

A tornado. Representative Image Source: Pexels | Ralph W Iambrecht

Leon was driving through Highway 290 during a tornado in Elgin, according to the outlet. "It was my first time being in a tornado and hopefully my last time," the teen told Fox 4 Dallas-Fort Worth. Bruce Lowrie Chevrolet in Fort Worth learned about the incident and the damage the teen's truck had suffered because of the tornado. So they decided to give Leon a new truck to replace his old one. The teenager's family was also given $15000 for any other expenses they might have to face. "We saw the video and we were all very moved to see what happened," Don Wagner, regional director, Chevrolet, expressed. "You think about your child being in that truck, spinning around. So honestly, we were very pleased and thankful that he was safe."

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"As soon as we recognized it, we tried to reach out and find him," Don continued. The teen shared that the gesture meant a lot to him and he was very thankful for it. He also ended up getting the job he had interviewed for at Whataburger. People appreciated the company's gesture for the teen in the comments section of the video. @carolynbuchanan7248 wrote, "Hats off to the Fort Worth dealership. You would have thought a local dealership would have stepped up to Fort Worth, put them to shame. After all, he is a student at an Austin school. I know they have Chevy dealerships in Austin, Georgetown, etc. He had an angel looking out for him that day."

@jamoore144 commented, "What a blessing and miracle the kid made it through alive and this restored some feelings of goodness in people that do good for others. Kudos to Ford and Chevrolet and those who reached out to the teen kid and his family." @harescrambler56 remarked, "Really good to see someone actually have a positive experience with a dealership. That's like winning the lottery in itself." @RyanHorseHelmet shared, "We love Tornado boy! Great job on those dealerships for helping a family during a tough time."

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