One person was killed and two others were critically injured in a three-vehicle wreck on U.S. 321 in Woodford, S.C. at around 11:48 a.m. Thursday.

Maria Beatriz Stotts, 68, of 1555 Normandy Dr., Miami Beach, Fla., died in the crash, according to Orangeburg County Coroner Samuetta Marshall.

Lance Cpl. Scot Edgeworth of the S.C. Highway Patrol said the wreck occurred 3.7 miles north of the town of North.

A 2008 Dodge four-door SUV driven by Reinald Rodriguez, 34, of North Miami Beach, Fla. was traveling north on U.S. 321 when it went left of the center line, sideswiping a southbound 2007 Jeep four-door operated by Kirsten Wathen, 22, of North, Edgeworth said.

He said the Dodge continued to travel left of center, crashing head on into a southbound 2005 Ford truck driven by Ronald Malthus, 24, of Springfield, Ga.

Edgeworth said the passenger in the rear of the Dodge, Maria Stotts, received fatal injuries, and both the driver, Rodriguez, and the front seat passenger, Franklin Stotts, 62, of Miami, Fla., were airlifted to Palmetto Health Richland hospital in Columbia.

Neither Wathen, who was alone in the Jeep, nor Malthus, who was alone in the Ford truck, received serious injuries, the trooper said.

U.S. 321 was blocked for about four hours while the S.C. Highway Patrol investigated the wreck, Edgeworth said.

Billy Robinson, a member of the Orangeburg County STAR Team, reported that SCE&G employees Mark Bates and Raymond Fogle were among the first to arrive at the crash scene and began providing first aid after calling for help.

"They went well above and beyond the call of duty by even helping assist emergency officials as they extricated the ... trapped people from the horrific wreckage," Robinson said.

Responding agencies in addition to the SCHP included the North and Wolfton fire departments, the Orangeburg County STAR Team and EMS.

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