STARS airlifts one occupant of a half-ton truck following a rollover near Kinistino. (Facebook/Melfort Fire and Rescue)

By Aaron Schulze

Kinistino Rollover

Man charged with impaired driving following rollover near Kinistino

Aug 12, 2019 | 12:38 PM

Melfort RCMP has laid charges after a single-vehicle collision in the R.M. of Kinistino.

Creedon Dipaolo, a 23-year-old man from James Smith First Nation, was charged with impaired driving causing bodily harm.

RCMP determined two adult men and two adult women were travelling northbound in a half-ton pickup truck before Dipaolo lost control on the gravel road. Police, local fire departments, and emergency medical services responded to the scene north of Kinistino on Saturday, Aug. 10 at 5 p.m.

One passenger was airlifted by STARS Air Ambulance to Saskatoon for treatment of serious injuries. The other two passengers and Dipaolo were transported to Melfort Hospital for minor injuries.

Melfort’s Fire Chief Jason Everitt said his department along with the RCMP were at the scene near Kinistino until around midnight due to the amount of work needed.

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“STARS was brought on the scene, so we created an improvised landing zone for them and guided them in on the landing and ensured the zone was cleared for the loading,” Everitt said. “We remained on scene for an extensive duration making sure it was secure and controlling traffic. An RCMP reconstructionist was brought out and spent several hours that evening looking at the scene and capturing every minor detail of what happened so they can piece it together.”

Everitt said there are some takeaways for drivers on gravelled surfaces.

“Gravel roads can go from being a very hard packed service to some areas where there’s loose gravel that could be washboard as well, which sometimes catches motorists by surprise,” he said.

Everitt encourages drivers to ensure their vehicles are equipped to deal with gravel roads, such as having inflated and treaded tires, and drive to a speed that’s appropriate for the road conditions.

In the meantime, Dipaolo was released to the RCMP and will make his first appearance in Melfort Provincial Court on Tuesday, Sept. 24.

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aaron.schulze@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @SchulzePANow