Another death reported on Blue Ridge Parkway as 84-year-old man found unresponsive

A man was found dead along the Blue Ridge Parkway, marking at least the 13th death along the scenic road this year, officials said.

At about 9 a.m. Friday, the National Park Service said it received a report that a man was unresponsive near Galax, Virginia, and mile marker 213. The area is close to the Blue Ridge Music Center and the North Carolina border.

When rangers got to the scene, they say they found an 84-year-old man had died due to an “apparent sudden medical emergency.” He was identified as Richard Edwin Taig of nearby Lambsburg, Virginia.

Thirteen people have died along the parkway in 2021, approaching the 15 deaths reported all of last year, according to officials.

Recently, the park said there was a homicide investigation after the body of a 33-year-old man was discovered near an overlook on Oct. 9.

And in August, a motorcycle rider died after a preliminary investigation showed he lost control and hit a guardrail, McClatchy News reported.

The Blue Ridge Parkway has urged people to drive safely during October, one of its most popular months. The tourist destination — a favorite spot for seeing fall foliage — runs 469 miles through the mountains of North Carolina and Virginia.