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The motorcyclist who lost his life Monday night after apparently losing control on the George Washington Parkway and careening off the road has reportedly been identified as a member of The Old Guard.
Twenty-two-year-old Nathan Townsend's body was found on an embankment about 50 feet from the road just after 6 a.m. Tuesday, about 12 hours after the incident was first reported.
"We were hoping for the best. We were hoping to find him quickly and have a good ending. It's a tragic ending and it's unfortunate," said Sgt. Robert Lachance with U.S. Park Police, which assisted in the recovery efforts.
A friend riding with Townsend told rescuers that a wheel on the soldier's motorcycle began to wobble shortly before he left the road near the Spout Run Parkway.
Townsend (right) was reportedly a member of the 289th MP Company, 4/3 Infantry, 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, also known as the Old Guard, at Arlington National Cemetery. His team had recently taken third place at a Military Police competition at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri.
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Authorities found the motorcycle Monday night near where it was believed to have left the road, but they called off the search for the motorcyclist until first light because of concerns for the searchers' safety.
The terrain where Townsend left the road is very steep and rough. The embankment sits atop a cliff about 70 feet above the Potomac River.
"It was very, very steep. The under brush was very, very thick," said Batallion Chief Carol Saulnier with the Arlington County Fire Department.
United States Park Police assisted in the search, including deploying its helicopter.
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