Jay Leno surprises wounded soldier with a brand new car

Jay Leno and the folks over at the "Today Show" set out to do something nice for someone who is willing to sacrifice it all for his country.

Wednesday morning, the 64-year-old appeared on the "Today Show" for one of their "Shine A Light" segments to tell the story of Cpl. Ethan Laberge.

Laberge was serving in Afghanistan when a suicide bomber drove up on a motorcycle and detonated himself, killing two soldiers and critically injuring Laberge. After undergoing ten separate surgeries he is still not back to full health.

After picking his name from a random lottery of injured soldiers, Leno learned Laberge's love of fast cars. Leno, also an auto enthusiast, decided to let him drive the brand new 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat (its unprecedented 707 horsepower engine makes it the most powerful muscle car on the planet).

As expected, Laberge loved the car, but it was what happened next that was completely unexpected.

"It's yours," Leno said after their ride. "America loves you. Thank you buddy. Have a lot of fun. Don't get any tickets."

"I can't promise that," Laberge joked.

The "Today Show's" "Shine A Light" project is a yearlong initiative that focuses on giving back to communities in need.

To see Leno and Laberge's full story, head over to www.today.com.

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