Blue Ridge Parkway
Naked Man Found Riding Horse Along Parkway
On April 13th, rangers received a report that state police had a man in custody who may have been involved in a possible accident in the area where the parkway crosses over Interstate 77. Upon arriving on scene, rangers learned that a man travelling the parkway drove his vehicle off the road and through a field, eventually striking a fence that parallels I-77. He then decided to take off all his clothes and begin walking. He eventually "commandeered" a horse belonging to a local farmer whose land borders the park and began riding the horse along an adjacent county road. When state and county officers arrived on scene, they saw that the horse was trying to buck off the naked rider. Eventually, the man was thrown from the horse, at which time officers took him into custody. He told the officers that he was under the influence of methedrine. He was taken to a local hospital for mental evaluation; charges are pending and may include horse theft, indecent exposure and public intoxication.