Tragedy struck on a Cocke County road when a motorcycle crash resulted in the deaths of two individuals this past Saturday. WVLT reported that the incident involved two motorcycles on Highway 25-70 near Hudson Way. The Tennessee Highway Patrol's preliminary findings indicated that around 3:15 p.m., a 75-year-old man named Hubert Roberts, aboard a Harley Davidson trike, veered across the center line and collided head-on with another motorcycle.
As both motorcycles were sent reeling from the impact – Hubert Roberts and his 73-year-old passenger, Norma Roberts, as well as the two individuals on the opposing motorcycle, were all ejected from their bikes; in the chaos that followed, with the scene said to be strewn with debris and the roar of approaching sirens, Hubert Roberts tragically lost his life on the spot while Norma succumbed to her injuries shortly after being transported to the hospital. WATE's coverage confirmed that Norma Roberts was pronounced dead at Newport Medical Center following the collision.
The aftermath of the crash saw the other motorcycle's 65-year-old driver and 47-year-old passenger seriously wounded and in need of urgent care, airlifted to UT Medical Center as reported by both WVLT and WATE. The Tennessee Highway Patrol states there are currently no charges pending in this case.
The stretch of highway where the collision occurred was likely a familiar passage for local riders seeking the freedom that only a motorcycle can afford, but on that ill-fated afternoon, the ride took a turn towards tragedy leaving the community to grapple with the sudden loss as WBIR echoes the accounts provided by the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the lives of Hubert and Norma Roberts were cut abruptly short and two others left battling serious injuries hospitals where the full extent of their recovery remains to be seen.
