Chevrolet has announced that it will be donating a 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LT All Star Edition to the 16-year-old driver who went viral for driving his Silverado through a tornado.
The video of the incident went viral earlier this week after it was posted on YouTube.
Chevrolet Silverado Survives Tornado
A red Chevrolet Silverado, specifically a first generation model, went viral earlier this week after it was captured on camera as it was thrown around by a tornado in Texas. Much to everyone's astonishment, the Silverado drove away after and the drive is safe and sound.
According to a report by Road & Truck, the video of the incident was uploaded on YouTube by a storm chaser named Brian Emfinger. You can view the video below:
"It does a 360-degree spin while sitting perpendicular to the road before being pushed back upright by the tornado's gusts," the report says of what happened to the Silverado. It likewise notes that the only damage that the vehicles seems to have sustained noticeable scratches
16-Year-Old Driver of the Chevrolet Silverado
If the fact that the Chevrolet Silverado survived a tornado is not amazing enough, the fact that the driver is a 16-year-old just might.
According to Houston-based news station KHOU 11, the driver behind the wheel in that viral video is none other than Riley Leon. In the news station's interview with the 16-year-old, he said that while the experience was shocking for him, he was not really scared that much.
However, Leon did note that his red Silverado, which is family-owned, ended up being dented after going through the tornado. Aside from that, the vehicle also had scratches and its glass shattered.
He said that seeing what happened to his car broke him down because he had just finished paying his father off for it despite the fact that it was passed on to him.
Chevrolet Announces That It Will Replace the Chevrolet Silverado
The viral video and the story behind it has apparently reached Chevrolet itself. In fact, Car and Driver has reported that the car maker has announced that it will replace the 16-year-old's damaged Silverado with a 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LT All Star Edition.
The announcement, which was posted on Chevrolet's social media accounts, reads: "Chevrolet, together with Bruce Lowrie Chevrolet of Fort Worth, TX, are donating a 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LT All Star Edition in Cherry Red to Riley Leon and his family after he survived a powerful tornado while driving in his Silverado."
Chevrolet and Bruce Lowrie Chevrolet of Fort Worth, TX, are donating a 2022 Silverado to Riley Leon and his family after he survived a powerful tornado while driving his Silverado. Our hearts are with other families that were affected by these storms. https://t.co/A7SCupjsSF https://t.co/ZWDoRc2PDn
— Chevrolet (@chevrolet) March 25, 2022
Chevrolet adds in its announcement that they are grateful that the 16-year-old is safe and that they will likewise be donating $50,000 to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund to help fund the recovery efforts in Texas following the series of tornadoes and storms.
