At 11:57 on Saturday, Oct. 13, Rangers at Great Smoky Mountains National Park were notified of a two vehicle accident along the north bound Pigeon Forge-Gatlinburg Spur (U.S. 441) near Westgate Resort near midnight on Saturday, Oct. 13.
Preliminary investigation shows that Joseph Madden, 34, of Pittman Center, Tenn., may have been attempting to cross the Northbound Spur from Westgate when a vehicle driven by Nicholas Swaggerty, 19, of Kodak, Tenn., collided with his pickup. Madden was transported to Leconte Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.
Swaggerty’s vehicle carried two passengers, an 18 year old male and a 17 year old female. One of the occupants was extricated from the vehicle by Gatlinburg EMS. Lifestar flew the two passengers to UT Medical Center and Swaggerty was transported to the Medical Center by a personal vehicle. All three have since been released.
In addition to Rangers, Gatlinburg Police Department, and Gatlinburg EMS responded to the accident. Park Rangers are continuing to investigatethe cause of the accident.
– NPS
