SAN DIEGO (NEWS 8) – A disabled Marine veteran on Thursday drove home with a very special gift.
Every weekend Robert Iaulualo makes the long commute to Los Angeles to see his two-year-old daughter, but recently his old unreliable car finally died – making the journey even more difficult.
Lance Corporal Iaulualo was driving a 2008 Mitsubishi Galant with over 200,000 miles and could not drive faster than 35-miles-per-hour.
He had spent thousands of dollars on repairs.
On Thursday, Lance Corporal Iaulualo received a new set of wheels.
He received a salvaged Nissan Sentra that was rebuilt by 32 Hands at Caliber Collision which was provided by Allstate.
The new car represents a new chapter for the veteran who served two tours in Afghanistan and is now a client at Support the Enlisted Project (STEP).
“It’s not a question of who could use a new car, and who could benefit. If we gave a car, this to this person, would it change their life?” said Tony Teravainen, STEP co-founder.
Lance Corporal Iaulualo is a graduate of the University of San Diego and plans to make some extra money driving for Uber.
Every weekend, he drives to Los Angeles to see his two-year-old daughter, Azariah.
“It’s really important for me because I have a reliable vehicle to get her to her appointments, everywhere, the park,” he said.
Behind the scenes is the National Auto Body Council’s recycled rides program.
To learn more about the program, which has given away 1,700 cars, visit their website.
Some of the footage in this video story was shot using a GoPro camera. ?