Great Smoky Mountains National Park Rangers, along with assistance from Blount County and Townsend officials, recovered the body of Matthew Johnson, 24, of Toccoa, Ga., from a submerged vehicle which was discovered in the Little River about 4 miles east of Townsend Wye in Blount County.
The victim was traveling east on the Little River Road and failed to negotiate a right hand curve when he left the pavement on the north side of the road. The car Johnson was driving, a blue Chevrolet Cavalier, plummeted about 25 feet into the swiftly moving waters of Little River.
The car flipped and landed on its roof and was almost fully submerged in the river except for its rear tires. A passing motorist discovered the vehicle in the river this morning around 8 a.m. and reported the accident to Park Rangers. While the exact time of the accident is unknown, it is believed that the accident occurred during the middle of the night.
Divers from the Blount County Sheriff’s Office, Special Operations and Rescue Team, assisted in a swift water rescue operation. Butler’s Wrecker Service from Walland, Tenn., pulled the vehicle out of the water at around 9:30 a.m. The body was still in the vehicle when rescue personnel arrived. Once the vehicle was roadside, the body was removed and Rural Metro Ambulance Service transported the victim to Blount Memorial Hospital.
The Townsend Fire Department also assisted in the incident.