Chevrolet just gave a new Silverado and $15,000 to a teen whose truck was seen being tossed around during a tornado in a viral video

2021 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck. — 2021 Chevrolet Silverado.
Chevrolet

A Texas teen is getting a new ride after his red truck was totaled in a twister on Monday.
Viral video shows 16-year-old Riley Leon's truck being flipped and spun around while he was in it.
Chevrolet gave him a brand new red 2022 Silverado and $15,000 to help with medical expenses.

Chevrolet just gave a new car to a Texas teen whose truck was flipped and spun around in a tornado in a viral video.

On Monday, a twister in Elgin, Texas, flipped 16-year-old Riley Leon's truck on its side, spun it 360 degrees, and then flipping it back upright again.

Leon is seen driving off after the frightening incident in a now-viral clip, but his car was still left badly dented, scratched, and damaged.

"It still turns on, but it doesn't drive very good," Leon told Dallas news station KXAS.

The truck ended up being totaled, according to a GoFundMe set up by a staff member at his school.

In a Facebook post Thursday, Chevrolet said it'll take care of that.

Alongside Fort Worth dealership Bruce Lowrie Chevrolet, the company is giving Riley a red 2022 Silverado 1500 LT All Star Edition.

"We are thankful Riley is safe, commend his driving skills during a frightening situation, and our hearts are with other families in Texas that have been affected by these storms," the post reads.

Leon received the truck Saturday, along with a $15,000 check to cover other expenses stemming from the incident. The dealership also said Chevy Cares will give $50,000 to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund to help aid recovery efforts in Texas after a spate of recent tornadoes.

Leon was heading home after interviewing for a job at a Whataburger when he got caught in the tornado.

"I actually called my friend. I was like, 'I got the job!'" Leon told KXAS. "Everything was going good."

He said the tornado struck "out of nowhere."

"It just happened fast," he continued. "I honestly didn't know what to do, to grab onto the steering wheel or to start praying."

Riley didn't go to a hospital after the incident, as his family doesn't have health insurance, he told Austin news station KTBC.

He has since started feeling "body aches and severe back pain" and has a fractured back, according to the GoFundMe, which has raised more than $37,000 for his medical expenses. He will be in a doctor's care, and his family is waiting to see if he'll need back surgery and therapy in the future.

At least 25 tornadoes hit Texas on Monday, two of which may have damaged roughly 1,000 homes, according to CNN. The storm system then began moving east on Tuesday, with twisters striking Louisiana and Mississippi and tornado watches taking effect in much of Alabama and part of the Florida Panhandle.

Read the original article on Business Insider