EMT honored for heroism after crash
SANDPOINT - Bonner County commissioners gave a standing ovation Tuesday to an off-duty emergency medical technician who is credited with saving lives following a fiery crash on U.S. Highway 95 earlier this month.
Bonner County Emergency Medical Services EMT Daniel Knott was honored for rescuing three people, including an infant, from a vehicle which caught fire after the collision on Dec. 3.
"Knott acted with complete disregard for his own personal safety or comfort, placing himself in harm's way and extricated three critically injured persons from a burning vehicle," Givens said, reading from the commendation.
Givens said the occupants of the vehicle would have burned to death without Knott's intervention.
Kimberlee Rae Dingman, a 44-year-old from Sandpoint, died of injuries she sustained in the crash in the Careywood area.
In other related developments on Tuesday, the Washington state man suspected of causing the collision was arrested on charges of vehicular manslaughter and aggravated driving under the influence.
William Deardorff was taken into custody following his release from Kootenai Medical Center in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho State Police said.
Deardorff, a 53-year-old from Spokane, is being held at the Bonner County Jail. His bail is set at $500,000.
The criminal case against Deardorff was sealed pending an initial appearance in the magistrate division of 1st District Court, which could be held today.
State police said Deardorff was southbound in the Careywood area when his pickup crossed the center line and collided head-on with a northbound Jeep Cherokee in which Dingman was a passenger.
The Jeep's driver, Crystal L. Bertolucci, was critically injured and is being treated at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. The hospital declined to say what condition Bertolucci was in on Tuesday.
The 31-year-old woman's daughter, Skylar, received non-life-threatening injuries, according to ISP. The 1-year old was strapped into a car seat at the time of the crash.
Dingman is survived by a husband and three children. A memorial fund in her name has been established at US Bank. Memorials are also being accepted by Mothers Against Drunk Driving in Coeur d'Alene.
Spokane television stations have reported that Deardorff has an extensive history of driving-related offenses, including prior drunke- driving arrests, in Washington. Aside from the pending charges, Deardorff has no prior record in Bonner County, court records show.