Gatlinburg accident: Chaos downtown as multiple cars crash, injuring 6
‘We’ve got a major, major crash’: Downtown Gatlinburg in chaos after wreck
Several vehicles were involved in a crash on a busy street in downtown Gatlinburg on Sunday. Multiple people and at least two pedestrians were hurt. Videos: WeThePeopleNews via Storyful, and NatashaVentures via Storyful
Investigators in a popular tourist town are piecing together what caused a multi-vehicle crash over the weekend that left several people injured.
What happened in Gatlinburg?
The backstory:
A multiple-vehicle crash happened in downtown Gatlinburg on Sunday, June 1, according to local media reports and several witness videos obtained by Storyful.
The crash happened in the 700 block of Parkway, where dozens of tourists were walking, shopping and eating.
Gatlinburg is a popular resort town near Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee.
Gatlinburg car accident
Images: WeThePeopleNews via Storyful
Video perspective:
Storyful, a social media licensing agency, obtained several videos from witnesses that showed serious damage to several vehicles and debris strewn across the four-lane road. Some vehicles were up on the sidewalk.
"We’ve got a major, major crash in Gatlinburg here," one witness is heard saying on camera. The witness said the driver of a white van was driving out of control - "probably 100 miles an hour" - and hit several vehicles.
People can be heard yelling and checking inside vehicles if everyone is okay.
Several emergency vehicles responded and eventually blocked the road.
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What they're saying:
The City of Gatlinburg told Storyful that at least six people were hurt. Three were flown via helicopter to the University of Tennessee Medical Center, and the others were taken via ambulance. Some of the victims reportedly included pedestrians.
Dig deeper:
On Monday, the Tennessee Highway Patrol reportedly told local news outlet WCYB that a medical emergency may be to blame.
WCYB reported that THP said the driver of a minivan accelerated unexpectedly, first hitting a person in the crosswalk and then several other vehicles. THP said the crash caused a road sign to fall and injure another person on the sidewalk.
THP said Monday that five other people inside various vehicles were hurt, but didn’t elaborate.
The Source: Information in this article was taken from Gatlinburg city officials, as reported by Storyful, a social media licensing agency, and from the Tennessee Highway Patrol as reported by local news outlet WCYB. This story was reported from Detroit.