Local football coach’s truck and boat damaged while on vacation

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – Strong winds and heavy rain swept through the area, leaving significant storm damage behind on Pioneer Drive.

Several trees fell during the storm, crushing vehicles, sheds, and even a boat.

Neighbors told us the truck and boat damaged by one of the fallen trees belong to local football coach Joshua Payne, who was out of town on vacation when the storm hit.

News 12 reached out to him after his neighbors told us they had broken the news over the phone.

“One of our neighbors called my wife’s phone, and I thought it was kind of random. I didn’t even realize there were storms in Chattanooga,” Payne said.

After learning about the damage, Payne said the calls continued throughout the evening.

“Not long after that, our neighbor behind us called me on FaceTime and showed me what was going on. Then I had a couple former players call me right after that. My phone just kept ringing nonstop for about an hour.”

When asked what was going through his mind after seeing the damage, Payne said he was relieved his family was away from home.

“The first thing was, thank God we weren’t home. The house was fine. The tree fell right on top of the boat and the truck.”

While the damage was significant, Payne said he is thankful no one was injured.

“My wife parks on the right side of my truck, so it could have been a lot worse if we had been home.”

Behind him now sits a large pile of brush, the remains of the tree that crushed the truck and boat.

Neighbors helped clear much of the debris following the storm.

Payne said he has not yet determined the total cost of the damage, but he joked that a new vehicle and boat may soon be making their way up his driveway.