Fifth Victim Claimed By “Tail Of The Dragon” On North Carolina Border

The Tail of the Dragon is a dangerous 11-mile stretch of road containing over 300 curves that runs from Tennessee to Deal's Gap in North Carolina. The road, Calderwood Highway, attracts sports car enthusiasts and motorcycle riders from around the world - but it also sees more than its fair share of serious motorcycle accident injuries and fatalities each year.

This week the most recent victim, 43-year-old Jesse Matthew Tremaine, died after crashing his motorcycle on one of The Tail's most dangerous curves, the gravity cavity. The man took a curve too fast, lost control of his motorcycle, face-planted, and never woke up from the brain injury and coma that came afterward. He died in the hospital after almost a month of intensive care.

One problem with the Dragon's Tail is that emergency responders aren't sure who is responsible for what parts of the road - with two North Carolina Counties trying to figure out who should be called in emergencies. Two places in particular, including the Hellbender in Swain County on NC 28, are confusing to EMS and police in Graham County and Swain County.