March 18, 2020 - 2:11 PM
ASHEVILLE, N.C. - A North Carolina man has been found dead inside his car on the Blue Ridge Parkway, the National Park Service said.
A news release from the park service said dispatchers received a report around 1:25 p.m. on Tuesday of an unresponsive male near milepost 422, nearly an hour south of Asheville, the Asheville Citizen Times reported Wednesday.
Rangers and local rescue crews discovered Thomas Edward Barnes, 72, of Black Mountain had died of an apparent sudden medical emergency, according to the park service.
Parkway spokeswoman Leesa Brandon said there were 17 deaths on the parkway in 2019, including medical incidents, falls, suicides and motor vehicle accidents. In 2020, there have been at least three deaths on the parkway, Brandon said.
News from © The Associated Press, 2020