Texas teen from viral tornado video is new face of Click It or Ticket Campaign

A 16-year-old is the new face of the Texas Department of Transportation’s Click It Or Ticket campaign.

You might not recognize his face or his name, but you’ve likely seen the video of Riley Leon driving a red truck that was flipped and spun by a tornado in late March.

Stormchaser Brian Emfinger tweeted a video of Leon’s Chevy truck as it took a beating from a tornado before landing back on its tires, allowing Leon to drive away.

Leon credits the fact that he was wearing his seatbelt as a reason he is still alive today.

The TXDOT Click it or Ticket campaign is celebrating its 20-year anniversary this month with an estimated 6,972 lives saved since its induction.

Leon can be seen in a tweet from TXDOT Austin sharing his story during this week’s anniversary event.

According to TXDOT data, more than 100,000 serious injuries have been prevented by the Click It or Ticket campaign, saving an estimated $23.6 billion in related economic costs.

Related:

• TxDOT officials celebrate 20 years of ‘Click it or Ticket’ campaign
• Social media videos show tornado reported in Round Rock
• Texas teen whose truck took a beating in tornado to get a 2022 Chevrolet Silverado
• KSAT viewers share photos, videos of severe weather that moved through San Antonio area