Motorcycle victim critical after slide on ‘Dragon’
From Staff Reports
A 68-year-old Ohio man was in critical condition after being airlifted to the hospital following a crash on “The Dragon” Tuesday afternoon.
Joseph Gotto, 68, of Akron, Ohio, was negotiating a curve near Mile Marker 6 when he lost control of his motorcycle, according to a Blount County Sheriff’s Office news release.
Gotto laid the Harley Davidson Ultra Classic down in the curve and it slid off into a deep ditch before striking an embankment and a tree.
Lifestar airlifted Gotto to University of Tennessee Medical Center, where he was listed in critical but stable condition.
Gotto’s wife, 57-year-old Michele Gotto, was also riding on the motorcycle, but declined treatment at the scene, authorities said.
Both Joseph and Michele Gotto were wearing Department of Transportation-approved helmets at the time of the crash.
Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the accident at around 2:19 p.m. Rural/Metro Ambulance Service and Blount County Rescue Squad personnel also responded.
