The incident occurred around 3 p.m. in the northern portion of the park near Gatlinburg, with more than 4 inches of rain falling in a localized area between Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge in just over an hour. During the storm, a tree fell on a 2006 Honda Odessa driven by Barry Willard Wallace, 73, of Cedartown, Georgia, along the southbound Spur between the Welcome Center and the Gatlinburg bypass. Wallace died as a result of his injuries. There were no other passengers or vehicles involved in the accident. 

The response involved multiple agencies, including emergency road crews from the National Park Service, City of Pigeon Forge and Tennessee Department of Transportation with help from the Sevier County Emergency Management Agency and Pigeon Forge Police Department, and emergency response from NPS, the Gatlinburg Police Department and the Gatlinburg Fire Department. The Tennessee Highway Patrol is assisting with the accident investigation.

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