Six teenagers killed in Multi-Vehicle Crash in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Six teenagers killed in Multi-Vehicle Crash in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced a multi-vehicle crash along Newfound Gap Road.

Officials from the Great Smoky Mountain National Park reported a multi-vehicle crash on Sunday that left six people injured.

Newfound Gap Road was closed for most of Sunday, given that the crash occurred at around 2 p.m local time, but has since been reopened.

There were three vehicles involved in the crash and all six people that were injured were adults. Two of the injured had to be taken to a hosptial via ambulance, while the others tooks care of their own transportation.

Since the start of October, the park service has made three separate posts speaking out against commercial vehicles that try to get through, even though they aren’t allowed by park rules. Multiple crashes have been reported that involve commercial.

While the crash this weekend did not involve a commercial vehicle, it is still important in amplifying the park’s call for safety along that road.

“The park continues to see an influx of illegal, large commercial vehicles attempting to travel the road. While the NPS recognizes that major routes outside the park are currently closed, Newfound Gap Road is not safe for large, commercial vehicles,” said officials in one statement. “In a 24-hour period, the park turned away more than 45 large commercial vehicles during the day, and overnight, responded to two significant incidents. In one incident, a car hauler crashed into a wall and down an embankment and in the other, a semi-truck’s brakes caught on fire. While responding to these incidents, eight semi-trucks drove past emergency responders.”

Newfound Gap Road is a 33-mile road that connects Gatlinburg, Tennessee to Cherokee, North Carolina. While it’s understandably a major road that many truckers will inhabit, but going through the park is clearly not the safest route.

Even if it adds times to a trip, and truckers on a deadline don’t have time for it, improved chances at an accident should make it not worth the risk.

It has also seen increased traffic due to the effects of Hurricane Helene. Many other surrounding roads have been closed, but park officials urge all commercial vehicles to find other ways to get around.