A 74-year-old man died in a motorcycle crash on the Blue Ridge Parkway on October 8, 2023, near Milepost 348.5.
George Wayne Harkins of Senoia, Georgia, was riding with a group when he lost control around 4 p.m., leaving the roadway. He was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the National Park Service (NPS).
Emergency responders arrived quickly, but Harkins did not survive the incident. No additional details about the crash have been released.
Authorities confirmed this marks the seventh fatality on the parkway in 2023, with five involving motorcycles.
The Blue Ridge Parkway, a popular route that stretches 469 miles through Virginia and North Carolina, has been the site of multiple deadly motorcycle accidents this year, according to NPS records.
An investigation into the crash is ongoing, with lane closures noted in the area following the accident.
Further updates will be provided as they become available.