Virginia man missing since October found dead on Blue Ridge Parkway

Karen Chávez | The Citizen-Times

The body of a man missing on the Blue Ridge Parkway since Oct. 26 was discovered Dec. 6 near the Thunder Ridge parking area at Milepost 75 in Bedford County, Virginia, according to the National Park Service.

At about 8:16 a.m., Park Service dispatch operators received a report of a human body on a trail near Thunder Ridge.

Park Service law enforcement rangers arrived on scene and confirmed the body to be that of James Albert Hogue, 63, of Bristow, Virginia.

Hogue’s unoccupied motorcycle was first noticed at the Thunder Ridge parking area Oct. 26. It is not uncommon for vehicles to be left at parkway overlooks for extended periods while owners are on a backcountry hike, according to a Park Service news release.

But after two days, parkway law enforcement rangers began an investigation and search.

Hogue's remains were found about 0.2 mile away from the overlook, off a nearby trail in a cluster of rocks, parkway spokeswoman Leesa Brandon said.

The cause of death is still under investigation.

RELATED: Woman dies of heart attack on southern end of Blue Ridge Parkway

RELATED: Two die in separate incidents on Blue Ridge Parkway

This is the 17th known fatality on the Blue Ridge Parkway so far this year, including medical incidents, falls, suicides and motor vehicle accidents, Brandon said.

Last year there were 20 fatalities on the parkway, she said.

RELATED: Trump sent NPS rangers to U.S.-Mexico border, NPS chief says he was not informed

The parkway is the second most visited unit of the National Park Service, with 14.7 million visitors in 2018. It stretches nearly 500 miles along the valleys and ridges of the Blue Ridge Mountains from Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to the entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Cherokee.