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A Chevrolet Camaro went off a 200-foot cliff near Newfound Gap in Smoky Mountain National Park on Saturday, August 15, according to reports shared by local residents.

The crash took place on the evening of August 15, when the red-and-white-striped muscle car is said to have plunged off a cliff near the summit area of Newfound Gap, a 5046-foot-high mountain pass close to the Tennessee-North Carolina border. A row of trees reportedly prevented the Camaro from dropping any further. According to eyewitness accounts, the driver was rescued and airlifted to hospital by the University of Tennessee’s Lifestar helicopter with injuries that were not considered life-threatening.

The exact reason for the crash has not been confirmed. Early accounts circulating online claimed the driver may have suffered a medical episode while driving before the incident. One purported eyewitness said the Camaro drifted by mistake into the oncoming lane, then struck the barrier wall on the right side of the road before spinning over the edge of the cliff.

“My children and I witnessed the accident. I am the one who called 911. He came around the bend (coming from Clingman's Dome/Cherokee, driving towards the outlook) and somehow veered left into the wrong lane. There was a big crash noise, and we watched the driver's side of his car run into the wall right at the side of the cliff. His car never corrected, and in slow motion, it rolled right over (sideways, driver's side first),” the eyewitness account said.

Separately, a man from Knoxville who said he was the driver’s son posted a comment in a Smoky Mountain residents’ forum, confirming both the reported medical episode and the driver’s condition after the crash.

“This was my dad in the accident. They’re still trying to figure out if it was his blood pressure spiked or [his] sugar dropped, but he is OK. He is up walking. He has four broken ribs and a tear on his kidney. Prayers are really appreciated,” the comment said.

Following the successful rescue of the driver on Saturday evening, the National Park Service brought in Baker’s Wrecker Service to recover the vehicle on Sunday, August 16. Footage of the recovery shows a crane lifting the heavily damaged car out of the ravine with straps passed through its broken windows. Visible damage to the Camaro included a deep dent in the passenger-side door, a badly crushed front bumper, and a shattered windscreen.

“The National Park Service called us out for a major recovery following a vehicle accident that left it more than 200 feet down an embankment. Our crew rolled our big boy and went to work, bringing the experience, equipment, and teamwork needed to safely complete the recovery,” Baker’s Wrecker Service said.

Road & Track has contacted the National Park Service and Baker’s Wrecker Service for more information about the incident, and the story will be updated as further details emerge.