The driver of a red pickup truck seen in a widely-circulated video flipping over on Highway 290 during a tornado in Elgin will soon be cruising town in a brand new red Chevrolet truck.
Bruce Lowrie Chevrolet in Fort Worth announced Thursday that they are giving 16-year-old Riley Leon a 2022 red Chevrolet Silverado to replace the one that was damaged in the tornado.
Leon told NBC 5 on Wednesday that he was on his way home from Whataburger where he had gone for a job interview when he was caught in the middle of the tornado.
Get top local stories in DFW delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC DFW's News Headlines newsletter.
"I honestly didn't know what to do, to grab onto the steering wheel or to start praying," the 11th grader said.
The tornado pushed his Silverado on its side, then bounced it back upright, before he appeared to simply drive on.
"On the video, it looks like I drove off but in reality I didn't," he said. "I landed in the center of the road and I was just driving to get off the road."
The sales manager at Bruce Lowrie said they felt bad for the teen who had to go through such a shocking experience, leading them to gift Leon the new truck.
Leon will be in Fort Worth on Saturday to pick up his new ride. It's perfect timing since he starts his new job at Whataburger on Monday.
