Chickamauga & Chattanooga |  |
The following Incident Reports were extracted from the NPS Morning Reports/Coalition Reports from 1989-2025. They are not a complete record of all incidents which occurred in this park during this timeframe. INCIDENTS | |
|
Friday, June 2, 1989 The body of R.W., 35, of Ootewah, Tennessee, was found in his car on Vittetoe Road on the afternoon of the 30th. R.W. had obtained an industrial CO2 canister and had opened it in his closed vehicle. Rangers employed CPR in an attempt to revive him, but were unsuccessful. (Telephone message from RAD/SERO).
At about 2:30 on the afternoon of the 3rd, M.C., 38, of Chattanooga, apparently lost his balance and fell 70 feet from the top of Sunset Rock. M.C. was visiting the park with his sister at the time of the incident. An investigation into the circumstances leading to M.C.'s death is underway. (John Cissell, CR, CHCH, via CompuServe message from RAD/SERO, 9 a.m. EST, 3/5/90).
On April 7th, FBI agents arrested K.H., 25, and A.M., 18, for the murder of A.M., 21, whose body was found in the park on the morning of April 6th. Their arrest followed an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the National Forest Service. The pair were to appear before a U.S. magistrate yesterday. No further information on the murder is currently available. [FBI report, via telefax from RAD/SERO, 4/8]
On April 7, 1991, FBI agents arrested K.H., 26, and Au.M., 18, for the murder of An.M., 21, whose body was found in the park on the previous morning. On December 27, 1991, K.H. received a sentence of life imprisonment in federal court for the crime. The sentence was issued under the guidelines of the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984 which abolished parole for this type of murder, so K.H. will spend the rest of his life in confinement. Evidence at the trial showed that Hatcher had conspired with Au.M., the victim's wife, to commit the murder. Mrs. Au.M. had previously pled guilty to assisting K.H. in the murder and was sentenced to 30 years in prison. The investigation was conducted by the FBI in conjunction with the NPS, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Walker County sheriff's office and Fort Oglethorpe police department. [Telefax report from Steve Alscher, LES, RAD/SERO, 1/15]
Ranger Dennis Curry was working at the visitor center in the park's Lookout Mountain unit on the afternoon of January 26th when a visitor notified him that he'd personally observed a man using a metal detector on park property. Curry and ranger Everette Correll went to the location and observed D.D. operating a metal detector with head phones just above Dogwood Springs, a point about a half mile inside the park's boundaries. The site is within the area where the battle of Lookout Mountain was fought, and is rich with archeological information and artifacts. The two rangers watched D.D. for the better part of an hour. During this time, D.D. operated his metal detector for at least 2,000 feet, during which time he stopped about eight to ten times to dig into the ground with a pick-like tool. Curry then contacted D.D., whose first spontaneous comment was "I thought there would be a fence at the start of the park." After escorting D.D. to a nearby road, Curry asked him for any artifacts in his possession. D.D. gave him two minie balls, which he said were dug outside the park. The metal detector and headphones, digging tool and a web belt and pouch were seized, but a citation was not given pending contact with the U.S. attorney's office. D.D. said that he had walked to the park from his home, which was several miles from the spot at which he was contacted, and declined the offer of a ride home. After he was released, the rangers found a Jeep Cherokee parked about 30 feet from a sign identifying the park; a check of the vehicle's registration showed that it was D.D.'s. At that time, D.D. emerged from the woods. The rangers asked for permission to have a consent search performed on the vehicle, but he denied such authorization, saying that he did not want to have anything further seized from him. The investigation into the incident is continuing. [Dennis Curry, CHCH, via telefax from Steve Alscher, LES, RAD/SERO, 1/29]
K.D.F., 20, of Chickamauga, Georgia, was killed just after midnight on March 17th when her car left U.S. 27 and struck a tree. K.D.F. was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident. There are no indications at this time that alcohol or drugs were contributing factors. [Jim Staub, CHCH, via telefax from Marcella Gibson, RAD/SERO, 3/17]
M.K., 22, was killed on the afternoon of June 24th when the pickup truck she was driving left the roadway on a sharp curve north of Osburn Road and struck a tree. Her passenger, R.D., was thrown into the rear of the truck and sustained severe head injuries. He was transported to a medical center in Chattanooga. Preliminary investigation indicates that the accident may be alcohol-related. [Jim Staub, CHCH, 6/26]
On August 4th, D.F.D. of Lookout Mountain, Georgia, pleaded guilty in federal court to ARPA violations stemming from an incident in the park last January in which he was observed using a metal detector and digging for artifacts. As part of the plea agreement, D.F.D. forfeited his metal detector and other equipment used to dig in the park, and paid $4,000 in restitution costs to Chickamauga/Chattanooga. D.F.D.'s 1987 Jeep Cherokee, which had been impounded since the end of January, was released to him. Sentencing is scheduled for September 21st. D.F.D. could receive up to a year in prison and be fined as much as $10,000. [Sam Weddle, CR, CHCH, 8/7]
J.P., 73, of Chickamauga, was killed in a two-vehicle accident which occurred on Reeds Bridge Road at noon on November 30th. J.P. was a passenger in one of the vehicles. Both drivers were hospitalized. An investigation into the cause of the accident is underway. [Sam Weddle, CR, CHCH, 12/1]
On Thanksgiving morning, off-duty ranger Bob Keebler saw a person wearing camouflage, later identified as S.M. of Ringgold, Georgia, standing near a truck on the battlefield. About five minutes later, Keebler heard a gunshot coming from the point where S.M. had last been seen. He located on-duty ranger Earl Yates and returned to the area. When they arrived, they found S.M. departing in his pickup and stopped him. A field-dressed, eight-point buck was found on the truck's front floor board. Keebler was able to locate the entrails and additional evidence implicating S.M. in poaching the animal on the battlefield. A search of the pickup led to the discovery of a hunting rifle and a .44 magnum pistol with one spent round. S.M. was charged with hunting and weapons violations. [Marcella Gibson, RAD/SERO, 12/8]
S.H.M. who was arrested last Thanksgiving Day for poaching an eight-point buck and possession of a firearm, was sentenced in federal court on February 9th to two years' probation and 100 hours of community service, prohibited from using or possessing a firearm for two years, and forfeited the .44 magnum Smith and Wesson pistol he used to kill the deer. [Bill Sturgeon, RAD/SERO, 2/17]
Late on the morning of February 28th, a park maintenance worker reported a suspicious vehicle parked off the highway on Lookout Mountain, adding that he'd also seen people in the woods below the vehicle and that they appeared to have metal detectors. Shortly thereafter, investigating rangers saw E.C.L. of Norris, Tennessee, using a metal detector on park property near the vehicle. When he was contacted, he told rangers that another individual, J.L.C. of Clinton, Tennessee, was also metal detecting in the area. The rangers were not able to locate J.L.C., but spotted him walking back toward the vehicle shortly thereafter. J.L.C. was questioned and admitted to relic hunting within the park. Both men claimed that they didn't know they were digging on park land. Their equipment and several artifacts, including a bayonet, a buckle and several bullets, were seized. Also seized was a .32 caliber pistol which was found during a consent search of the vehicle. The impacted area was determined to be approximately 400 square yards in size and contained nearly 50 holes. The two men claimed that they'd been working in the area since 9 a.m. that day. The U.S. attorney's office was contacted; at their direction, both men were cited for mandatory appearances for theft of government property and possession of metal detectors pending a full ARPA investigation. They were both released. The Southeast Archeological Center was contacted. They dispatched an archeologist to the park who performed a site damage assessment. The investigation is continuing. [RAD/SERO, 3/9]
E.L. and J.C., who were caught digging relics in the park's Lookout Mountain District in February, were found guilty of illegal excavation for artifacts (16 USC 470ee) in federal magistrate's court in Chattanooga on August 11th. The magistrate levied no fines against either man, but ordered that all equipment involved in the incident be forfeited, including two metal detectors and a pistol. Each man also paid $2,698 in restitution. Ranger Arthur McDade led the investigation. [Sam Weddle, CR, CHCH, 9/22]
Around 5 a.m. on the morning of Thursday, February 3rd, G.B., 49, and his wife D.B. were traveling north on U.S. 27 within the park when their car left the roadway on the opposite shoulder and struck a tree. G.B. died at the scene; Diane Bowman was hospitalized with a broken hip, internal injuries and lacerations. Family members report that G.B. had been experiencing chest pains and that the B.s were en route to the hospital at the time of the accident. Cause of death will be determined by the medical examiner. Neither of the B.s was wearing a seat belt. [Sam Weddle, CR, CHCH, 2/3]
On the afternoon of May 30th, a six-year-old girl and another child were climbing on high rocks adjacent to a trail near Point Park when the girl fell approximately 15 feet back onto the trail surface and suffered severe head injuries. She was flown by helicopter to a hospital in Chattanooga for surgery and is currently in serious condition. An investigating into the exact cause of the fall is underway. The children were on a hike with their family at the time of the incident. [Sam Weddle, CR, CHCH, 6/1]
On the afternoon of October 14th, park staff at the Lookout Mountain visitor center received an anonymous telephone report of a man relic hunting at the base of the mountain. Investigating rangers observed W.L. of Chattanooga using a metal detector and digging on park land and subsequently found a musketball and two fence staples in his possession. These were seized as evidence, and W.L. was released at the direction of the U.S. Attorney's Office after leading the investigating rangers to the holes dug in the park. On October 18th, the U.S. Attorney's Office issued an arrest warrant for W.L. for ARPA violations. Prosecution is expected in the near future. [RAD/SERO, 10/24]
Reports have been received from more than a dozen parks affected by Hurricane Opal: * Chickamauga/Chattanooga - All facilities are in good shape and open, but many trees have fallen on park roads. Highway 27 through the park remains open. [Jason Houck, CR, GRSM; Mark Lewis, DR, GUIS; Steve Hickman, IC, JELA; Jerry Eubanks, Superintendent, GUIS; Steve Smith and Bill Sturgeon, RAD/SEFO; Pat Reed, CHCH; Mary Jones, HOBE; Barbara Goodman, DESO; Greg Stiles, SHEN]
On the afternoon of February 6th, a section of pipeline located mid-slope on the north face of Lookout Mountain began leaking diesel fuel. Although the leak was not in the park, it was just a few feet upslope from park land. A team from Colonial Pipeline Company was on scene through the night working to contain and cleanup the spill. As of noon Wednesday, it appeared that a maximum of about 63,000 gallons of number two fuel oil had leaked from the line. About 2,000 gallons had been recovered. Little material remained on the surface, however, indicating that most of it had migrated beneath the surface via cracks connected to the mountain's extensive cave system. Preliminary assessments indicate that caves located near the spill site have in fact been impacted, but no oil has been found in any streams or in the nearby Tennessee River. Officials are primarily concerned at present with the degree of contamination to caves and to local groundwater supplies. No park surface resources have been affected, but geologists believe that caves on park property below the spill have likely been contaminated. Agencies were planning on meeting yesterday to formulate a plan of action. [Sam Weddle, CI&RM, CHCH]
Cleanup operations and damage assessments continued on Lookout Mountain through the weekend. Air and water samples were taken from one cave located below the spill site. The results have not been released yet, but the pipeline company has acknowledged the presence of fumes in the area. Monitoring of nearby streams and the Tennessee River continue; no oil has been reported in any of them. No impacts to surface resources have yet been found. Park personnel are assisting in collecting cave air and water samples. [Sam Weddle, CR, CHCH]
On the evening of February 13th, park personnel and Colonial Pipeline geologists detected fuel oil fumes emanating from holes in the Sanders Road area on Lookout Mountain - about a mile uphill from the site of the spill. As a result of this new development, the park is organizing a response team to determine the extent of the exposure, establish an air and water quality monitoring program, and develop action plans. The whereabouts of the 60,000 gallons of oil that leaked from the line is still unknown. [Sam Weddle, CR, CHCH]
Response to the oil spill continues under ICS. Action plans are being formulated, a command center has been established in Chattanooga, and air and water quality specialists from Mammoth Cave are on scene. The pipeline company is conducting dye testing to determine the path the oil took from the spill site. [Sam Weddle, CR, CHCH]
V.R., 55, of Rossville, Georgia, died on August 29th from injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident which occurred in the park on August 14th. V.R. was driving a 1985 Cadillac southbound on U.S. 27 through the park on the evening of the 14th when she crossed the centerline, veered back across the southbound lane onto the road shoulder, then went into the woods and struck a tree. Speed was not a factor. [Sam Weddle, CR, CHCH]
J.W., 81, was fatally injured on the evening of May 28th when his northbound vehicle crossed the centerline of U.S. 27 within the park and struck a southbound vehicle head-on. The operator of the southbound vehicle, Teresa Swiger, sustained serious injuries and was hospitalized. Witnesses said that the J.W. vehicle had drifted across the centerline and into on- coming traffic, and that the brakes had never been applied. J.W. had a history of heart ailments. An autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death. The heavily-used highway was closed for over an hour. [Sam Weddle, CR, CHCH, 5/30]
On the afternoon of April 28th, the driver of a 1973 Datsun pickup failed to negotiate a curve between two one-lane bridges on the Alexander's Bridge Road. The truck rolled down an embankment and came to rest on its side. The operator, S.B., 44, was partially ejected from the truck and was pronounced dead at the scene. His wife, D.B., was hospitalized with multiple contusions. Preliminary investigation indicates that alcohol was a contributing factor. District ranger Jim Staub is the lead investigator. [Sam Weddle, CR, CHCH, 4/30]
On the afternoon of March 29th, park staff received a report of a body below the overlook at Signal Point, a small detached unit of the park within the city of Signal Mountain in the northwest area of metropolitan Chattanooga. The body of 42-year-old M.L. of Chattanooga was recovered from a steep, thickly vegetated area about 50 feet below the overlook. The apparent cause of death was a head injury resulting from M.L.'s fall from the overlook. Contact with M.L.'s family revealed a lengthy history of suicide attempts. The investigation was conducted jointly by the NPS and Signal Mountain Police Department. [Sam Weddle, CR, CHCH, 4/1]
During the early morning hours of April 18th, two locked NPS vehicles parked behind the Lookout Mountain Battlefield Visitor Center were entered through their passenger side front windows. The window of one vehicle, a maintenance pickup truck, was broken, and both vehicles suffered damage to their steering columns in unsuccessful attempts to start them. A police shotgun was stolen from a locked mount in the second vehicle, a law enforcement Tahoe. Other vehicles parked at nearby residences were also entered and damaged, and one was stolen and burned. Ranger Dennis Curry collected fingerprints and blood evidence from the scene, and the fingerprints were analyzed through the Chattanooga Police Department's automated fingerprint identification system. On May 8th, the fingerprint analysis identified the suspect as one D.H. On May 10th, D.H. was arrested at his mother's residence in Chattanooga. During the subsequent interrogation, D.H. admitted to entering the vehicles and stealing the shotgun, claiming that the shotgun lock opened after D.H. struck it with a hammer. Further investigation determined that D.H. had given the shotgun to another man to sell for him, and that the weapon had changed hands twice more before it was recovered by Curry in Lafayette, Georgia, on May 22nd. Numerous federal and state charges are pending. Curry's lead investigation, along with the combined efforts of other NPS staff, ATF, and numerous local law enforcement agencies, resulted in the case being solved and the weapon recovered, cleared other local cases, and contributed intelligence to on-going investigations involving multiple jurisdictions. [Sam Weddle, CR, CHCH, 5/29]
On July 31st at about 9:30 p.m., a sport utility vehicle operated by 18-year-old Z.O. of East Ridge, Tennessee, wrecked while travelling eastbound on Reeds Bridge Road within the park's Chickamauga Battlefield Unit. The vehicle traveled a short distance on the right shoulder before turning sharply to the left, crossing both lanes of traffic and hitting a small tree. The tree was uprooted and the vehicle rolled over onto its top. Z.O., who was wearing a seat belt, suffered a concussion. The vehicle's other occupant, 15-year-old K.W. of Ringgold, Georgia, who was not wearing a seat belt, was killed. Wrinkle was riding in the front passenger seat, which was near the point of impact with the tree. Speed appears to have been a contributing factor. The accident is being investigated cooperatively by the National Park Service and Georgia State Police. DR Jim Staub is the case ranger. [Sam Weddle, CR, CHCH]
On August 16th, 33-year-old S.E. of Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, reported having been kidnapped, then driven to the park and assaulted. She'd waited three days to report the incident, which occurred on August 13th on the Chickamauga Battlefield. According to S.E., she was taken into the park at gunpoint by her husband, K.E., after she refused to assist him in cooking methamphetamine. While inside the park, the woman was beaten and struck on the head while on Alexander Bridge Road, then forcibly removed from the vehicle and shot at. The shooting was witnessed by visitors passing by, which caused S.E.'s husband to force her back into the van and drive out of the park instead of carrying out his stated plan to leave her in the woods after tying her to a tree and cutting her to encourage insect bites. Once outside the park, S.E.'s husband struck her several more times, then drove back through the park and exited. He then forced her to stay with him that night. The next day, while they stopped to get gas, she escaped, but did not report the incident to authorities until she went for medical treatment two days later. The FBI and Fort Oglethorpe Police Department were called in to assist, and arrest warrants were obtained. On August 17th, S.E.'s husband was located at a hotel in Fort Oglethorpe, where he was arrested. During the arrest, pieces of a methamphetamine lab were observed on the floor in the hotel room and a revolver matching the description given by S.E. was also recovered. A hazardous materials team was called in to clean up the site. Ranger Eddy Cartaya is the lead investigator. [Sam Weddle, CR, CHCH]
While closing portions of Chickamauga Battlefield on the evening of
Sunday, July 4th, ranger Eduardo Cartaya noticed a woman at the top of
the 85-foot-tall Wilder Brigade Monument. The monument is designed to
allow visitor access via a spiral staircase, with an observation
platform at the top, and was open at the time. The woman was standing on
top of a rock wall that encircles the observation area and provides
protection from falling. Cartaya called to her and told her to climb
down off the wall and meet him at the base of the monument. She complied
with his instruction to climb down off the wall, but was then
momentarily lost from Cartaya's view from below. As Cartaya approached
the entrance gate to talk with her, he heard a sound and came upon the
woman's body lying in the grassy area at the base of the monument.
Cartaya called for medical assistance and checked the woman, later
identified as 36-year-old C.H. of Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia.
EMS and other law enforcement agencies responded to assist. C.H. was
pronounced dead at the scene. There were no witnesses. An
investigation was conducted jointly by NPS and Fort Oglethorpe
Police Department personnel, with Cartaya serving as the lead NPS
investigator. The death was subsequently ruled a suicide.
On the morning of September 3rd, Chickamauga Battlefield district ranger Jim Staub was dispatched to Jay's Mill Road, where a visitor had reported finding a wounded man in the woods adjacent to a service road. Investigation revealed that the 42-year-old man from Rossville, Georgia, had a gunshot wound in his chest and had expired. A single shot, .440 caliber black powder pistol was found near the body, along with personal belongings. A small pickup truck registered to him was found parked on Jay's Mill Road near the service road. Detectives from the Fort Oglethorpe Police Department, the county coroner, and the FBI were contacted. The investigation was conducted jointly by the park, coroner's office and Fort Oglethorpe PD. Staub was the lead NPS investigator. There was no evidence of foul play. [Sam Weddle, Chief Ranger]
Around noon on November 27th, a 19-year-old woman contacted park staff and reported that she'd been assaulted while walking on Viniard-Alexander Road. She said that she'd parked her car, then gone walking along the side of the road to reach a popular area around a creek. While walking, she was attacked from behind by a man in his late 20s. He grabbed her, struck her twice in the face, took her purse, and ran into the nearby woods. The purse contained $220 in cash. Protection rangers were called to the scene. A hasty search was conducted and an investigation begun, but no evidence or leads have been produced so far. [John McCutcheon, Acting Chief Ranger]
A 32-year-old man was killed in a single-vehicle accident on Snodgrass Hill Road on the evening of Tuesday, December 4th. A Nissan Altima being driven at a high rate of speed drifted off the park road and slammed into a metal pipe gate which was locked in an open position. The end of gate punched through the front grille and under the hood and continued through the firewall and dashboard, entering into the interior of the car and striking the driver. The force was so great that the body's final resting point was in the rear seat. The accident was discovered by a ranger on patrol around 11 p.m. Nearby fire, EMS and rescue units assisted with accident management. Evidence strongly indicates that the driver was highly intoxicated. [John McCutcheon, Acting Chief Ranger]
N.S., 62, of Birchwood, Tennessee, was riding in the park just after noon on January 30th when she fell from her horse. The horse then turned around and stepped on her abdomen, inflicting serious injuries. Ranger Jim Staub and local EMS personnel responded, treated her, and got her to a hospital. She subsequently succumbed to her injuries. [Robert Harris, Acting Chief Ranger]
During the early morning hours of Saturday, January 2nd, two park maintenance workers came upon the body of a large man lying in the middle of Sanders Road on Lookout Mountain. He had a single gunshot wound to the back of his head. Park rangers and Chattanooga Police Department officers were dispatched to the scene. Based on the initial investigation, the man has been identified as 40-year-old J.Y. of Chattanooga, Tennessee. It's believed that Yearby was shot and dropped on the roadway within an hour of the time the maintenance employees found him. Sanders Road is a secondary, less-traveled roadway, with woods surrounding the area. Later that morning, the Chattanooga Police Department Homicide Unit, searching a local criminal database, identified J.Y. as a hardened criminal who was known for selling drugs and involvement with gang activities in the Chattanooga area. A joint investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Chattanooga Police Department, and the National Park Service. [Todd Roeder, Chief Ranger]
The park received a report of a serious fall and injury to a 23-year-old climber beneath Sunset Rock in the park's Lookout Mountain area on the evening of July 27th. He'd fallen 50 feet, landing on a hiking trail. Responding park and local rescuers treated his injuries and began a carryout up to the rim of Sunset Rock. He was air-lifted that evening to Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga with non-life-threatening injuries - a dislocated shoulder and a shattered left foot. Climbing is allowed in this area of the park. [John McCutcheon, Supervisory Park Ranger]
Rangers received a report of a woman down late on the afternoon of November 2nd. A family at the park's designated recreation field saw a woman kneeling on a blanket on a neighboring recreation field. She was hunched forward, with her head on the ground, and they therefore thought that she was praying. After some time, they noted that she hadn't moved, walked over to her, and found that she was dead. Responding with rangers were Walker County deputies and the county medical examiner, who declared the 26-year-old woman dead at the scene. Four bottles of prescription medicines were found with her along with notes to family members. She was identified at the scene and the family was notified the same day. Preliminary investigation indicates that her death was a suicide. [Todd Roeder, Chief Ranger]
On the afternoon of Sunday, June 30th, the park received a report of a serious fall and injury to a 30-year-old climber approximately one mile from Sunset Rock on a popular climbing route called "Celebrity Flake" on Lookout Mountain. The climber attempted to clip into a bolt, but either the bolt failed or he didn't securely clip in; an investigation continues to determine the cause of the accident. The climber, who was wearing a helmet, then fell 50 feet from the ledge and landed on his head. Ranger Todd Milsaps and personnel from Lookout Mountain Police/Fire, Hamilton County Search and Rescue, and EMS arrived on scene and stabilized his injuries. Following an hour-long carryout up to the rim of Sunset Rock, he was airlifted to Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga and admitted with critical injuries. [Todd Roeder, Chief Ranger]
Ranger Justin Young began a search for a missing 29-year-old woman on Wednesday, May 27th, after receiving a 911 call reporting her missing on Lookout Mountain. The woman's family had contacted police after their bipolar and suicidal daughter, who had been acting irrationally, vanished from their house by way of a taxi. A business on Lookout Mountain had informed the Lookout Mountain Police Department that the woman was seeking directions to Sunset Rock, a favorite overlook. Young located the woman two steps from the cliff face at about 6:30 p.m. After blocking her route to the edge, he began talking to the distraught woman about her plans to harm herself. He was later assisted by local police. The woman believed that she was the anti-Christ and that her soul had been taken away by God. The woman was taken back to the main road, where a family member took custody of her. [Todd Roeder, Chief Ranger]
Six men have been convicted and fined in federal court on charges that they engaged in illegal hunting activity in or near the park. Three were from Tennessee, two from Alabama and one from Georgia -- and that person is (or maybe was) a Georgia Department of Natural Resources wildlife technician. According to a park spokesperson, the Lookout Valley portion of the park has seen an increase in illegal hunting activity in recent years, particularly the area surrounding Lookout Creek. Violations included shooting from a boat onto NPS land, hunting and installing deer stands on NPS land, chasing raccoons with dogs on NPS land, and maintaining a baited area within the park. Source: NewsChannel9.com.
On July 29, J.W., 37, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in the park for an incident on December 27, 2020 in which three people were found loitering in the park after hours adjacent to a vehicle with six ounces of meth, scales, baggies, drug paraphernalia, a magnetic hidden compartment, and a handgun. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison and 20 years of probation, as well as $370,150 in fines and restitution. Source: WTVC September 18, 2022 On July 12, a 69-year-old rode a bicycle around posted and signed barricades into a construction zone on Glenn-Kelly Road. Construction workers wearing reflective vests attempted to stop the suspect by yelling and signaling. The cyclist allegedly rode into one of the workers, causing the bike to fall over. The cyclist then stood up and peppers sprayed the construction worker's face and lunged at them with a stun gun. Park rangers arrived on scene and collected the two weapons, reviewed cell phone video, and interviewed three witnesses. The individual was charged with simple battery and booked into the Catoosa County Jail. There have been several federal and state citations for bicycling in construction zones during park construction this summer. Source: Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park February 22, 2023 On November 2, individuals illegally shot an 8-point white-tailed deer in the park from the intersection of Alexander Bridge Road and Brotherton Road. The shooting was observed by an eyewitness who provided limited information about the incident. The park does not allow any hunting within its bounds. The park is offering a financial award for anyone who can provide information leading to an arrest. Source: Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
In November 2022, two law enforcement rangers were patrolling Lookout Creek for illegal hunting activity after sunset. Two individuals were witnessed leaving the park in a small boat. When the officers made contact, they first stated they had been on the Tennessee River and later admitted to hunting a location inside the park off Lookout Creek. Their weapons and an illegally harvested white-tailed deer were seized and the venison was donated to a local nonprofit organization. This month, the two individuals pleaded guilty in U.S. federal court to the illegal hunting. Source: Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
On October 28, a 22-year-old took a 30-foot fall off the edge of a bluff on Lookout Mountain near Sunset Rock. Rescuers from the Lookout Mountain Fire Department and Chattanooga-Hamilton County Rescue responded and utilized a wheeled litter to carry the individual off the trail. A doctor on scene assessed the individual, who "didn't appear to have severe injuries." The individual was taken to a hospital for further treatment. Source: The Charlotte Observer
On April 16, two individuals pleaded guilty to the illegal taking of wildlife. Both individuals were involved in the take of two white-tailed deer that were transported from Tennessee into Georgia. Charges included hunting in a closed area, hunting without a license, falsifying records, violating the Chronic Wasting Disease Restriction, firearm possession by a prohibited person, providing a false statement, and destruction of a natural area. The investigation "spanned several years and involved multiple interviews, hours of surveillance, and a search warrant." Both individuals were issued fines (unspecified). The area around Lookout Creek and Lookout Valley "has seen an increase in illegal hunting activity" recently, and the park asks that visitors report any illegal hunting activity by calling 911. Source: Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
On December 7, a fire was reported on the eastern slope of Lookout Mountain south of the Incline Railway near the Hardy Trail. Personnel from the NPS, Lookout Mountain Fire and Police (TN, GA), Chattanooga Fire and Police Department, Tennessee Division of Forestry, East Ridge Police Department, Catoosa County Fire Department, West Brow, Hamilton County Rehab, Walker County Fire Department, Red Bank Fire Department, and the Tri Community Fire Department responded to the incident. The tracks/rails of the Incline Railway caught fire. The fire was 100% contained at 10 acres. The Mountain Beautiful Trail on Lookout Mountain is closed until further notice. The cause of the fire is unknown and under investigation by the NPS. Source: Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
On December 11, the park announced that their investigation of the 12/7/24 wildland fire on Lookout Mountain (see 12/11/24 Coalition Report) found that the fire was started by natural causes. A large rockslide began, likely due to "freeze/thaw action." The boulder struck other rocks and trees, creating heat and sparks, and one tree struck a power line on the Hardy Trail. It is believed that the rockslide was more likely to have created the sparks than the power line. There was no evidence of human activity near the origin of the wildfire. The Mountain Beautiful Trail remains closed until further notice. Source: Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park | |