Couple dies in burning car after hitting fallen limb on Blue Ridge Parkway, VA park says

A National Park Service employee and his wife were killed when their vehicle crashed and burst into flames on the Virginia leg of the Blue Ridge Parkway, according to investigators.

It happened just before 1 p.m. Sunday, March 23, near milepost 11, about a 15-mile drive south from Waynesboro.

A fallen tree limb is believed to have caused the crash, park officials said in a March 24 news release.

“Rangers and local first responders arrived to discover a car on fire,” park officials said.

“The driver of the vehicle, Troy Hagwood, 62 years old, and his wife and passenger Cheryl Hagwood, 60 years old, ... died as a result of the crash.”

Troy Hagwood worked for 16 years on the Blue Ridge Parkway, but was off duty when the crash occurred, officials said. The couple’s home in Stuarts Draft is about a 15-mile drive northeast of where the crash occurred.

“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,” park officials said.

Milepost 11 is home to the Hickory Spring Parking Area where drivers can pull off and see an unobstructed view of mountain tops.

The Blue Ridge Parkway is a 469-mile scenic road that tops Appalachian Mountains ridges in Virginia and North Carolina.

This story was originally published March 25, 2025 at 6:52 AM with the headline "Couple dies in burning car after hitting fallen limb on Blue Ridge Parkway, VA park says."