14-07-2025
Blue Ridge Parkway fatality: NC motorcyclist dies after hitting deer NPS says
A North Carolina motorcyclist died nearly two weeks after he collided with a deer June 1 on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Woolwine, Virginia, according to the National Park Service.
The motorcyclist was driving north on the parkway when he collided with a deer crossing the rider's lane of traffic around 11:59 a.m. June 1 near Milepost 162, which is about 52 miles northeast on the parkway from the North Carolina border and 206 miles or 3.5 hours driving distance from Asheville. The driver, identified as Edward Zigata, 60, of Shallotte, was ejected and sustained serious injuries, the park service said in a June 16 news release.
NPS law enforcement rangers, along with Floyd County, Virginia Fire and EMS, responded to the crash. Zigata was taken by helicopter to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, the release said. Park officials recently received word that Zigata died from his injuries on June 14, 2025.
The NPS said no other details are available at this time. NPS rangers are investigating the crash, spokesperson Leesa Brandon told the Citizen Times.
The parkway is one of the most visited units of the National Park Service, drawing more than 16.7 million visitors in 2024. After Tropical Storm Helene struck Western North Carolina in late September, large sections of the roadway in North Carolina remain closed due to severe damage. As summer quickly approaches, more areas are expected to open for travel and recreation over the summer and into fall.
Earlier this year, a hiker, identified as Jie Huang, 40, of Plymouth, North Carolina, died April 18 after falling into waters along the parkway, the Citizen Times reported. Huang was hiking along the Boone Fork Trail near Price Lake at Milepost 297, about 85 miles northeast of Asheville, when he fell into waters adjacent to the trail.
The parkway is 469 miles long, straddling the North Carolina-Virginia border. The Citizen Times previously requested the number of deaths along the parkway so far in 2025, but did not receive an answer before press time.
This story will be updated.
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Ryley Ober is the Public Safety Reporter for Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at rober@ and follow her on Twitter @ryleyober
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: NC motorcyclist Blue Ridge Parkway dies after hitting deer
