Archived Outdoors

Motorcycle accident results in fatality

A motorcycle fatality occurred on Newfound Gap Road in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park shortly after 5 p.m. Monday, June 22. 

Phillip Rath, 69, of Schoolcraft, Michigan, was traveling north on the road when his motorcycle crossed the center line and struck a Honda Odyssey that was traveling south near the Chimney Tops Trailhead. 

Smokies park rangers and Gatlinburg Fire and Emergency Medical Services responded to the scene, but Rath was unresponsive and pronounced dead as a result of his injuries at 6:13 p.m. No one else was injured as a result of the accident. 

Smokey Mountain News Logo
SUPPORT THE SMOKY MOUNTAIN NEWS AND
INDEPENDENT, AWARD-WINNING JOURNALISM
Go to top
Payment Information

/

At our inception 20 years ago, we chose to be different. Unlike other news organizations, we made the decision to provide in-depth, regional reporting free to anyone who wanted access to it. We don’t plan to change that model. Support from our readers will help us maintain and strengthen the editorial independence that is crucial to our mission to help make Western North Carolina a better place to call home. If you are able, please support The Smoky Mountain News.

The Smoky Mountain News is a wholly private corporation. Reader contributions support the journalistic mission of SMN to remain independent. Your support of SMN does not constitute a charitable donation. If you have a question about contributing to SMN, please contact us.