His truck was the vehicle equivalent of Frankenstein, a green mish-mash of dents and dings and disjointed panels.
The 2000 Chevy Silverado became something of a famous eyesore in South Bend, Indiana, earning sideways glances and second looks wherever Mo Riles went.
“I thought it was A.I. and didn’t know if it was real,” one diner patron told Steve Hartman of CBS News.
“It’s unbelievable how the thing even moves,” said another.
“I did a double take because I couldn’t believe the sight of it,” a woman added.
Before long, the disbelief spread to social media, where jokes poured in from wisecrackers across the internet
“Where is the duct tape when you need it?”
“Looks like the Hulk smashed it…”
“One speed bump away from splitting in half!”
Sure, Mo heard the jokes and saw the sideways glances—but the truck ran just fine. The state of Indiana doesn’t require inspections. And Mo, who worked at a Dollar Tree store, wasn’t in a financial position to upgrade, especially since facing recent health struggles.
So the truck rolled on… at least until Colin Crowel saw the photo. Colin, who owns Carguys Auto Detailing, wanted to do more than joke about the unsightly relic. He figured that whoever was driving it likely needed a pick-me-up, instead of another internet pun.
“I just thought there’s gotta be something more to why this truck looks like this,” Colin said. “I just put two and two together.”
He started a crowdfunding campaign, hoping to raise money for Riles and betting that community support would produce more than social media memes.
“The vehicle is dangerously broken, literally falling apart, and has been seen in parking lots looking immobile—yet somehow, Mo manages to drive it day after day,” he wrote on the GoFundMe page. “Parts fall off, the truck appears to be split in half, but Mo never lets that stop him from getting to work or handling his daily responsibilities.
“With the support of local businesses and neighbors, I believe we can make a real difference in Mo’s life and show what our community is capable of when we come together.”
The results arrived quickly. Donations poured in from people all over northwest Indiana and beyond. More than 500 people pitched in to raise over $26,000 for Mo.
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Earlier this month, his Franken-truck took its last ride, heading toward a Chevy dealership in town where he received a shiny 2019 Chevy Silverado truck that looked brand new. (Watch the Steve Hartman video below…)
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Whenever Mo thinks about it, his emotions become overwhelming.
Now, beyond the jokes and embarrassment there’s a shiny new symbol of compassion and kindness that sits in his driveway.
“That’s the part that knocked me over, man,” Mo recalled, with tears in his eyes. “Here (are) human beings seeing another human being struggle. And I’m like, wow, what did I do to deserve this?
“But this whole thing is not about me. It’s about this community bonding together.”
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