Great Smoky Mountains National Park Rangers temporarily closed park roads for two serious motorcycle accidents on Sunday evening, September 17, 2017.
At approximately 6:20 p.m., a single motorcycle accident was reported along the Foothills Parkway West between mile marker 7 and 8. An adult male rider was transported by Lifestar to the University of Tennessee Medical Center just before 7:30 p.m. Park Rangers, Rural Metro, and Blount County Sheriff, Fire, and EMS responded to the accident. The roadway has been reopened.
Another single motorcycle accident occurred at approximately 8:38 p.m. just north of the tunnel on the Spur between Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.
Officials say 24-year old Lawrence Overby Tuck IV, of Knoxville, died after he slid into a guardrail just past Huskey Grove Road north of the tunnel along the Spur. Gatlinburg Police Department, Gatlinburg Fire Department, and Park Rangers responded to the accident. Overby was declared deceased at the scene of the accident by Gatlinburg EMS who later transported him to LeConte Medical Center where time of death was pronounced at 8:53 p.m. The northbound Spur reopened at 10:38 p.m.
No additional details were available.