Carter Co. Man Rescues Brother, Brother's Wife After Truck Struck By Tornado

During Saturday night's severe weather, a Dickson couple were seconds from safety when their truck was struck by a tornado.

Now, both of them face a long road of recovery after surviving severe injuries.

Johnny Baker was on the phone with his brother Wayne, and Wayne's wife Lindy Baker as the tornado hit their vehicle.

The couple was attempting to reach a friends house to use their storm shelter when Baker said the phone call went dead.

“All he kept telling me was 'I couldn’t get it open but we’re getting out, we’re getting out,'” Baker said. “I heard a 'ding ding ding' like hail or rocks hitting the windshield, then a large crash and the phone went dead.”

Wayne and Lindy were with their 9-year-old son Branson. 

Their truck struck a tree as the tornado passed over them just northeast of Lake Murray near the town of Ardmore.

Immediately, Johnny said he jumped into action. 

“It’s your brother, what are you going to do?” he said. 

Heading out into the storm, Johnny said he found his brothers wrecked vehicle and heard the couple screaming for help.

“Get them out alive… that’s the only thing I was worried about,” Baker said. 

The couple's son, Branson, was uninjured and ran a mile up the road searching for help.

Wayne’s neck and sternum were fractured, his ribs and hand broken and his lungs bruised.

Lindy's injuries even more severe, sustaining a broken back, neck and jaw, a punctured lung and a head wound that required the use of over 100 staples.

“I was like 'you’re alive, I don’t care about anything else, you’re alive,'” Baker said.

Despite surviving, Johnny said Wayne and Linda will be out of work for an extended period as their bodies recover from their injuries.

“He is a contractor in Ardmore, so if he can’t work he can’t make money for his family,” Baker said. 

Johnny said Wayne is up and moving, but Linda still has a ways to go.

A GoFundMe has been set up for the Bakers to support them on their recovery journey.