UPDATED: 1 killed, 1 airlifted to hospital in wreck near Cleveland Highway on Wednesday

Jan. 27—One woman was killed in an automobile wreck Wednesday afternoon in Whitfield County and another woman was airlifted to Erlanger hospital in Chattanooga, according to the Georgia State Patrol.

In an email a Georgia State Patrol public information director said preliminary findings are that at 1:41 p.m. "the Georgia State Patrol Post 5 Dalton responded to a two-vehicle crash involving a 2015 Freightliner tractor-trailer and a 2011 blue Ford Explorer" on Cleveland Highway.

The public information director said a passenger in the Explorer, Darla Newport, 63, suffered fatal injuries. Whitfield County Coroner Greg Bates said she is from Dalton. The driver of the Freightliner tractor-trailer was not injured.

"The preliminary crash investigation shows that the blue Ford Explorer was traveling north" and "failed to maintain its lane and crossed the center median," the public information director said. "The Ford Explorer traveled north into the south lanes of (Cleveland Highway), striking the tractor-trailer head-on. The driver of the Ford Explorer, Ms. Lisa Newport, 39 years old, was flown to Erlanger Medical Center."

The crash happened around 1:36 p.m. near the intersection of Cleveland Highway and Orchard Way, according to a Whitfield County 911 dispatcher.