Published: Monday, Dec. 21, 2009 / Updated: Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2009 08:43 AM

Fort Mill Marine dies in SUV crash

Santolla qualified for state as a Fort Mill High wrestler

CHARLESTON -- Vincent Joseph Santolla, a 23-year-old Fort Mill native and a former U.S. Marine, died Friday after a single-vehicle crash near Charleston, officials said.

Santolla, a 2004 graduate of Fort Mill High School, died a day before his 24th birthday. His sister, Adriana Santolla of Fort Mill, said Vince, as he was known, seemed destined for a career in the military.

“Ever since he was little, we would run around in the back yard pretending he was in the military, and our family has a long tradition of being in the military. A lot of our cousins had been (deployed) overseas,” she said.

Santolla, the son of Kenneth Santolla and Mary Santolla Richardson, was a state qualifying wrestler for Fort Mill High, claiming a third place his senior year. Santolla also was a member of the Marine Corps JROTC. Santolla, while serving in the Marine Corps Reserves, attended The Citadel and later enlisted in the Marine Corps.

Santolla's career with the Marines ended last spring, according to his sister, who said Santolla received a medical discharge because of a chronic back problem.

He was going to school in Florida to study art and was pursuing a career as an artist when the accident occurred last week.

“He was an amazing artist,” Adriana said. “He could draw anything. He loved art and that was his passion — being an artist. He was starting a career as a starving artist.”

At around 9:55 p.m. Friday, Santolla was driving eastbound on Interstate 26 when his Ford Explorer left the road and hit a tree, according to the S.C. Highway Patrol.

Santolla and a passenger each wore seat belts, according to highway patrol. The passenger was taken to the Medical University of South Carolina, according to the highway patrol. No information was available on that person's identity or condition.

The crash remains under investigation, according to the patrol.

— Fort Mill Times Editor Michael Harrison contributed to this story.