Arkansas man dies on Dragon
By Jessica Stith
of The Daily Times Staff
A 67-year-old Arkansas man was killed Monday when he lost control of his trike, struck a tree and fell down an embankment while riding on the Dragon.
Harold Smith, 67, Sherwood, Ark., was pronounced dead at Blount Memorial Hospital, according to Tennessee Highway Patrol Trooper Cory Russell.
Russell said Smith was driving a 2006 Honda GL 1800 trike northbound at 12:16 p.m. on the Dragon, an 11-mile stretch of Calderwood Highway that has more than 300 curves. He said it appeared that Smith lost control when his rear tire raised up while driving through a curve.
“(Smith) was negotiating a curve when he lost control of his vehicle.” Russell said. “He attempted to correct his vehicle and when he did, he overcorrected.”
Smith’s trike crossed the double lines on the highway, went off the left side of the road and struck a tree. Russell said his trike “rolled 150 feet down an embankment” and Smith fell about 25 feet down.
Russell said a friend of Smith and an off-duty medic who was passing by attempted to give CPR to Smith on the scene. He was taken by Rural/Metro Ambulance Service to Blount Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Smith was wearing a helmet and Russell said speed was not a factor in the cause of the accident.
Blount County Sheriff’s deputies, members of the Blount County Volunteer Rescue Squad and Blount County firefighters assisted THP and Rural/Metro at the scene.
The wreck resulted in the eighth traffic fatality in Blount County so far this year. At this time in 2007, there had been 13 traffic fatalities. Smith’s death was the second traffic fatality so far this year on the Dragon.
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Topic: Dragon takes another life (Read 8275 times)