Human Interest Texas Teen Miraculously Survives Being Swept Up by Tornado While Driving Home from Job Interview A viral video showed Riley Leon's truck being spun around by a tornado but, despite the truck flipping over, the teen was somehow able to drive away By Jason Hahn Jason Hahn Jason Hahn is a former Human Interest and Sports Reporter for PEOPLE. He started at PEOPLE's Los Angeles Bureau as a writer and reporter in 2017 and interviewed the likes of Kobe Bryant, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Tom Brady. He has a B.A. in English from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Master's degree in Journalism from Columbia University. He previously worked for Complex Magazine in New York City. People Editorial Guidelines Published on March 25, 2022 10:05PM EDT Photo: Gofundme A Texas teen is lucky to be alive after getting caught in the middle of a tornado Monday. In a video of the incident, Riley Leon's truck can be seen being spun around on its side by a tornado before being flipped back on its wheels again. The 16-year-old was driving home after leaving a job interview at Whataburger when he crossed paths with the twister, according to the Dallas Morning News. Leon's encounter with the twister was caught on video by storm chaser Brian Emfinger, who filmed the tornado flipping and then spinning Leon's red truck on its side. It then shows the truck flipping back over on to its wheels, allowing Leon to make his escape. "Omg… just going thru my video. This is a story about a red truck and a tornado," Emfinger said in a tweet. "I CANNOT believe they drove away like that." As of Friday, Emfinger's video has been viewed nearly 7 million times on Twitter. A preliminary report released by the National Weather Service said the twister was an EF-2 that reached winds of about 115 mph. "I honestly didn't know what to do, to grab onto the steering wheel or to start praying," Leon said in an interview with KXAS. Florida Man, 59, Killed in Car Crash After Colliding with 11-Foot Alligator in Roadway "On the video, it looks like I drove off but in reality I didn't," he added. "I landed in the center of the road and I was just driving to get off the road." Pictures of the truck posted by the new station showed large scratches all along its driver's side. One of Leon's teachers, Bianca Jaimes, created a GoFundMe for the 11th-grader to help him with expenses stemming from the incident. "Riley is so lucky and blessed to have made it out of this terrifying incident," Jaimes said on the page. "His truck was totaled, but for the most part, he is doing ok. Unfortunately, he has begun to experience body aches and severe back pain, as one would expect after this type of accident." Rare 207-Year-Old Whaling Shipwreck Found in the Gulf of Mexico: 'Critical Discovery' Jaimes said she hopes to raise enough funds to cover Leon's medical expenses since the family does not have health insurance. "His truck was also totaled, and he is now left with no transportation to school," Jaimes said. "Let's rally around this young man and help him out in this time of need. He is a lovely, bright student making plans to graduate next year and could genuinely use some love from our community and anyone else who may have viewed this video and prayed for the passengers." The page has raised nearly $31,000 so far. Also, a dealership in the area, Bruce Lowrie Chevrolet, has gifted Leon a new truck to replace his damaged one, WFAA reported. RELATED VIDEO: Dramatic Video Shows Tornado-Like Waterspout Shocking Cuban Town: 'Very Dangerous' But Leon, though, said he is grateful his run-in with the twister didn't leave him seriously hurt. "Thankful to God for giving me another chance in this life," he told KHOU. "He probably did for some reason. Probably, in the future, gonna bring better plans into my life."