BLOUNT COUNTY, Tenn. — Every turn on the "Tail of the Dragon" is an adventure. Millions of people travel on Highway 129 every year, and several pass through the section of road known as "The Dragon" near the Tennessee and North Carolina state line.
Now the Blount County Sheriff's Office is urging for caution and safety. On a social media post, the sheriff's office said drivers have been reporting motorcycle crashes between the 7-mile and 7.5-mile marker due to a "slick and uneven surface" near an area where crews are resurfacing the road.
For Lisa Hutsell, one of those turns is haunting. Her son, Luke, loved driving his motorcycle on the dragon. On June 12, 2021, he crashed with another rider and died.
"In my nightmares, it's like I'm trying to get to him and I just can't reach him," Hutsell said. "If they just stayed in their lines, it would have saved his life."
Officials said it's even more dangerous now as crews repave the 11-mile stretch.
"We realize that The Dragon is a popular roadway, especially for motorcycle enthusiasts," said Mark Nagi in a statement, spokesperson for the Tennessee Department of Transportation. "This resurfacing work will make for a safer and smoother ride. We appreciate the patience of the motoring public as this important roadwork continues."
David Muller said he often rides on The Dragon and said it needed resurfacing.
"I basically came up here just to turn around, so I'm not following all the dump trucks and uneven of the pavement," Muller said. "That probably makes it better, because you had some of the road that was folding down had some cracks in it."
TDOT said it expects the resurfacing work to be done by July.
Luke's mom said he knew every turn by heart, and that making the road safer would take more than making lines more visible.
"I don't have any regrets about letting him ride on The Dragon because, like I said, he absolutely loved it," Hutsell said. "I think The Dragon is just going to be a place where people are always going to want to go and drive fast. Only thing I can think of is just to slow down and stay in your lane."