Great Smoky Mountains National Park Rangers responded to a report of a single-car collision along Newfound Gap Road at approximately 3:20 a.m. on Sunday, December 8, 2019. Natasha R. Pheasant, age 23, of Cherokee, NC, was traveling by herself on Newfound Gap Road when her Ford Fiesta veered from the roadway and struck a tree approximately 7 miles north of Cherokee, NC. Pheasant died as a result of her injuries.
Park Rangers, Cherokee Indian Police Department Officers, Cherokee Tribal EMS and Cherokee Fire Department responded to the scene. No additional details are available at this time.