His life changed when a stranger in Texas gave him a ride

It was a spur-of-the-moment decision, but it set off a chain of events that united a community and changed one man’s life.

When Andy Mitchell spotted a young man in a fast-food uniform walking along the side of a road in Rockwall, Texas, last week, he decided to give him a ride. After all, it was 95 degrees outside.

A piece by CBS News told the rest of the story: Mitchell learned that 20-year-old Justin Korva didn’t have a car and was walking 3 miles to work and then home again each day.

Mitchell was so impressed by Korva’s dedication that he posted about it on Facebook. The owner of a pizza restaurant saw the post and offered to raise money at his business.

In less than 48 hours, with the help of Mitchell and others, more than $5,000 had been donated. The general manager of an auto dealership learned of the effort and talked his boss into reducing the price of a 2004 Toyota Camry.

The donated money was not only enough to purchase the car, it also paid for Korva’s auto insurance, oil changes for a year and a $500 gas card. Last Friday, Mitchell and others surprised Korva with the car while he was at work.

“Are you serious?” Korva asked when presented with the car.

They were.

Korva gave each man a hug, wiping tears from his eyes as he walked toward the car. Now he can drive to work instead of walking miles in the Texas heat.

This story was originally published June 27, 2017 at 9:09 PM with the headline "His life changed when a stranger in Texas gave him a ride."