The teen behind the wheel of a red truck tossed on its side during Monday’s tornado outbreak just got a brand new pickup truck.
“That was my first time in a tornado, and hopefully that’s my last time,” said 16-year-old Riley Leon.
Surrounded by his family at the Bruce Lowrie Chevy dealership in Fort Worth, Leon said he still can’t believe he’s alive.
“I am very grateful," said Leon. "This doesn’t happen to a lot of people, and it happened to me."
Get DFW local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC DFW newsletters.
The teen was driving home from a job interview at Whataburger. He was heading down Highway 290 when a twister pushed his pickup on its side and flipped it upright.
“I was mostly worried about my truck honestly," Leon said. "I didn’t care about myself at that point. It left me speechless seeing how my truck was."
Even the force of a tornado can’t rip him from his prized pickup. He already has plans to fix it.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
“It’s my truck," said Leon. "I cannot let it go. It has a lot of sentimental value to me."
Leon was also presented a check for $15,000 dollars to help him and his family.
And there’s more good news: He landed the job at Whataburger and starts Monday.
