LAURENS, S.C. -- Officials said a woman was killed when a tree fell on her car while she was driving down U.S. Highway 221 in Laurens County on late Tuesday night.

A strong storm moving through the area knocked the tree down on top of the vehicle while it was traveling underneath it, killing the woman inside, the Laurens County Coroner's Office said.

The woman was identified as 29-year-old Kimberly Alexander, of Laurens, officials said. They said she died from blunt force trauma.

It took crews using backhoes and chainsaws a couple hours to get the tree off the vehicle.

Officials shut down Highway 221 for several hours while they worked to clear the roadway.

The storm also knocked down power lines as it moved through the area, leaving hundreds of people without electricity. Deputies said that many traffic lights near Laurens were darkened because of the storm.