WILLISTON – A 44-year-old Williston woman and a child died Saturday in a three-vehicle crash northeast of Williston, according to the North Dakota Highway Patrol.

The Highway Patrol reported the head-on crash occurred just before 8 p.m. A Dodge Ram pickup driven by Mark Bearce, 52, from Williston was traveling the wrong way on U.S. Highway 2, eastbound in the westbound lanes.

A Toyota Sienna driven by Stephanie Lee, and a Ford F-350 driven by Zachary Brown, 22, from Fayette, Utah, were westbound on Highway 2. The Dodge collided with the Toyota, and the Ford was struck by debris.

Lee and a 7-year-old female passenger died at the scene. Passenger LaDarian Taylor, 22, from Jonesboro, Georgia, was transferred by ambulance to a Williston hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Brown was not injured.

Bearce received non-life-threatening injuries and was transported by ambulance to a Williston hospital. He was charged with driving under the influence and vehicular manslaughter.

Highway 2 was closed for about 3.5 hours for on-scene investigation and to clear the vehicles involved.