Archived Outdoors

Parkway motorcycle crash leaves two dead

Two people are dead following a June 22 collision between a motorcycle and a passenger van in the Balsam area of the Blue Ridge Parkway. 

At approximately 5 p.m., Parkway rangers received a report of the crash at Milepost 450. When they arrived, CPR was in progress on the operator and passenger of the motorcycle by an off-duty firefighter and doctor who came upon the accident. Local EMS took over after arriving on the scene. 

The motorcycle driver, 70-year-old Larry McElroy, and his wife 71-year-old Brenda McElroy, both of Williamson, Georgia, succumbed to their injuries on the scene. Neither of the van’s two occupants sustained any injuries. 

The McElroys were traveling southbound in a curve when they crossed into the northbound lane, hitting the oncoming van. An investigation is ongoing to determine if there were any further, contributing factors. 

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