The Fugitive Train Wreck (Sylva, NC)

If you're travelling along Haywood Road in Sylva and glance down at the river, you might notice a horrific crash.



Two train engines, one prison bus, and the mangled remains of what appears to be another bus are by the river.



Your mind races. You wonder if you should climb down there and look for survivors. And then you notice a few things don't make sense.



The engines have Illinois Southern painted on the side. The bus belongs to the Illinois Department of Corrections.



But you're not in Illinois, you're in the mountains of North Carolina. And that's when you realize these are the remains from Dr. Richard Kimble's harrowing escape from the 1993 film The Fugitive.



Here's the scene from the movie in case you don't remember:



After filming commenced, the folks behind The Fugitive realized it was just easier (and cheaper!) to leave the wreckage there than to have it removed.



Today, it brings folks to the Sylva and Dillsboro area eager for a peek at the movie wreckage.



Currently, there are two ways to see the wreckage from The Fugitive train wreck.



You can hop aboard the Tuckasegee River Excursion offered by the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad or you can view the wreckage from above by standing along Haywood Road and looking down the bank below you from Haywood Road.



We would like to thank Sarah Pressley with the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad for giving us access to the wreckage. We would also like to thank Nick Breedlove of Discover Jackson County for getting us in touch with Ms. Pressley.

What To Know Before You Go

GPS Coordinates: (35.370059, -83.263364)
Location: 973 Haywood Road, Sylva

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