News Release

Motor vehicle collision near milepost 11 on the Blue Ridge Parkway results in two fatalities

Date: March 24, 2025

MONTEBELLO, VA – On Sunday, March 23, 2025, at approximately 12:51 p.m., Blue Ridge Parkway dispatchers received a report of a single motor vehicle accident near milepost 11, in Nelson County, Virginia.

Blue Ridge Parkway rangers and local first responders arrived to discover a car on fire that had crashed into a large tree. The driver of the vehicle, Troy Hagwood, 62 years old, and his wife and passenger Cheryl Hagwood, 60 years old, both of Stuarts Draft, Virginia, died as a result of the crash. Mr. Hagwood had been a National Park Service employee on the Blue Ridge Parkway for the past 16 years. He was off duty at the time of the accident.
 
The preliminary investigation indicates Hagwood was traveling northbound when his vehicle struck a tree limb, left the roadway, and then struck a large roadside tree and caught on fire. The Parkway was closed for a short time while local crews worked to extinguish the fire. Along with National Park Service Law Enforcement Rangers, responding agencies included Augusta County Sheriff’s Department, Wintergreen Fire Rescue and EMS, Nelson County and fire crews from George Washington and Jefferson National Forest.
 
Next of kin has been notified. No additional details are available at this time.
 
--NPS--