GROTON, S.D.(Press Release) –  A Fayetteville, N.C., woman has been identified as the person who died as a result of injuries sustained in a one-vehicle crash on Monday, July 11, 2022, east of Groton.

Preliminary crash information indicates that a 2017 Toyota Camry was eastbound on U.S. Highway 12 when it struck a deer. The vehicle drove through the median, across the westbound lanes, entered a ditch, and went into a slough.

Melissa Sweeney, the 50-year-old driver, was first airlifted to an Aberdeen hospital and then airlifted to a Sioux Falls hospital. She died there on Tuesday, July 12. Her seatbelt use is under investigation. She was the only occupant.

South Dakota’s Highway Patrol is investigating the crash. All information released so far is only preliminary.

The Highway Patrol is an agency of the South Dakota Department of Public Safety.