A Decatur man was killed in a motorcycle crash on the Dragon Monday.
According to the Blount County Sheriff's Office, Douglas Earl Stoeppelwerth, 70, was driving a 2000 Yamaha motorcycle north on U.S. Highway 129 at mile marker 7 when he crossed the double yellow line as he negotiated a right turn.
Stoeppelwerth sideswiped a car traveling south, which threw him from his motorcycle and directly into the path of another car driving south. Stoeppelwerth, who was wearing a helmet, was pronounced dead on the scene. The other drivers weren't injured.
The Tail of the Dragon is the section of Highway 129 between Tennessee and North Carolina that is a destination for motorcyclists and other drivers who want to tackle its 318 curve in just 11 miles,