Detroit man who walks 21 miles to work receives new car
DETROIT (KABC) -- A Michigan man who walked 21 miles to and from work every day for the past 10 years now has a new car, thanks to the generosity of strangers.
James Robertson, a factory worker from Detroit, has been walking to work for the past decade since his car broke down. Even with the rough commute, he has never missed a day.
On Friday, a local Ford dealership surprised him with a new Ford Taurus.
When Robertson climbed into the driver's seat, the 56-year-old broke down in tears.
"Whenever I step into this, whenever I step in it, it reminds me of where I been and where I'm going," Robertson said.
A 19-year-old Detroit college student came across Robertson's story on the news and wanted to help.
"What he walks is like me walking to work every day, and I honestly couldn't believe that," Evan Leedy told ABC News. "I thought to myself, 'What would I do if my car broke down?,' and I thought, 'I have my parents and I have money to get an Uber.'"
So, Leedy set up a GoFundMe page for Robertson. It initially started with a goal of $5,000, but the account has since raised more than $336,000.
Robertson's friends say, these donations won't change his life. They say he likes where he lives and where he works.
