Texas teen driver who survived viral tornado moment joins TxDOT seat belt campaign

Stefan Stevenson
·2 min read
2

The Texas teen who went viral when the truck he was driving was flipped over and spun around by a tornado is back in the public eye.

Riley Leon was driving back from a job interview at an Elgin Whataburger on March 21 when a twister swept across U.S. Highway 290, flipped his red Chevy Silverado truck over on its side and spun it around before flipping it back upright. Leon was able to drive away with just a scratch on his arm.

He credits his seat belt for saving his life in the moment and will participate in a Texas Department of Transportation “Click It or Ticket” campaign.

He spoke at a TxDOT media event Monday at the Texas Capitol.

“It was a couple days after that I realized that thank God I wore my seat belt that day because if not, the accident could have been more tragic,” Leon said. “I probably wouldn’t be here at this moment without my seat belt. But thankfully, I wore it and I’m here.”

Video shot by a storm chaser of Leon’s truck spinning in the storm went viral on social media as news outlets picked it up all over the world.

A Fort Worth Chevy dealership gifted Leon a brand new truck a week later.

TxDOT reports seat belts reduce the risk of dying in a crash by 45% for people in the front seat. The risk is reduced by 60% for people in pickup trucks.

Seat belts are required for drivers and passengers, according to Texas law. Failure to wear one could result in a fine of up to $200.

Riley Leon, 16, talks with the media at Bruce Lowrie Chevrolet in Fort Worth, Texas, Saturday, March 26, 2022. Leon received a new Chevrolet Silverado after the one he was driving was totaled in a tornado.
Riley Leon, 16, talks with the media at Bruce Lowrie Chevrolet in Fort Worth, Texas, Saturday, March 26, 2022. Leon received a new Chevrolet Silverado after the one he was driving was totaled in a tornado.
With his mother, Elvia, as a passenger, Riley Leon, 16, checks out his new Silverado at Bruce Lowrie Chevrolet in Fort Worth, Texas, Saturday, March 26, 2022. Leon received a new Chevrolet Silverado after the one he was driving was totaled in a tornado.
With his mother, Elvia, as a passenger, Riley Leon, 16, checks out his new Silverado at Bruce Lowrie Chevrolet in Fort Worth, Texas, Saturday, March 26, 2022. Leon received a new Chevrolet Silverado after the one he was driving was totaled in a tornado.