Gatlinburg, Tennessee — On Sunday, a multivehicle incident in the Tennessee tourist resort of Gatlinburg injured seven people, including two pedestrians.
According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the collision happened around 4:20 p.m. when a minivan driving through the pedestrian-heavy downtown area unexpectedly accelerated, striking a person in a crosswalk before colliding with numerous other vehicles. One of the vehicles struck a roadside sign, which fell and injured a second person. Five more persons were hurt in two other autos.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol is investigating, and preliminary findings indicate that the collision may have been triggered by a medical issue.
Gatlinburg is nestled in the mountains of East Tennessee. It is located between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the country’s most visited national park, and Pigeon Forge, home of Dollywood.