Ford has long been known for its support of veterans, whether that be donating vehicles to our nation’s heroes or simply being recognized for being a veteran-friendly place to work in numerous studies. Thus, it should come as no surprise that The Blue Oval once again sprung into action to help U.S. Marine Tyler Vargas-Andrews after a distracted driver crashed into the veteran while he was driving his brand new, five-month-old 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor on the highway – this time, by gifting him a brand new 2024 Ford F-150 Raptor R to replace the old one.
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Vargas-Andrews was helping evacuate people from the Kabul airport in Afghanistan when a suicide bomber exploded a device there, killing 170 Afghans and 13 U.S. service members – two of whom were Vargas-Andrews’ closest friends. He was also critically injured in the blast when more than 150 ball bearings shredded his body. Ultimately, Vargas-Andrews survived the horrific attack, but lost his right arm and left leg, and sustained numerous internal injuries that have required 45 surgeries to rectify thus far.
After finally getting out of the hospital, Vargas-Andrews went out and purchased his dream truck – the aforementioned Code Red 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor – which was promptly totaled just a few months later, though luckily, he and his his girlfriend only suffered minor injuries as a result.
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Once FoMoCo caught wind of this tragedy, it decided to replace the hero’s truck with a brand new, refreshed 2024 Ford F-150 Raptor R – this time, finished in Carbonized Gray. Vargas-Andrews and his friend Jake Simmons were able to tour the Dearborn Truck plant where it was built, as well as meet Bill Ford, who popped in as a surprise. It’s an incredible story, and an act of kindness that Vargas-Andrews won’t soon forget.
We’ll have more heart-warming Ford-related stories like this to share soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for more Ford F-Series news, Ford F-150 news, Ford F-150 Raptor news, and comprehensive Ford news coverage.
Comments
Awesome gesture Ford! Proud of our Veterans and proud to be a lifelong Ford owner. Thanks again for looking out for our Veterans.
For a Man that has given so much it’s great to see some given back. Thanks to all our Veterans and their families for the sacrifices they endure. Good job Ford. Enjoy your new Raptor Mr Vargas-Andrews !