RICHMOND, RI -- Police have identified Nicholas Gershkoff, 20, of North Kingstown, as the victim of a roll-over accident Friday evening on Hillsdale Road. Two other people in the vehicle were injured.
The driver, Zachary Thole, 20, of 8 Twilight Trail, Richmond, has been charged with driving while under the influence, death resulting, the police said. Thole is being held at the Adult Correctional Institutions on $100,000 surety bail pending a bail review on Monday morning.
A police investigation revealed that Thole was driving south along Hillsdale Road when he lost control of his vehicle.
The police responded to a 911 call of a single-car accident made at 7:39 p.m. Friday. They found an overturned pickup truck had three occupants. Two were alert and conscious and had freed themselves.
The third person, later identified as Gerschkoff, was pinned beneath the truck and was unresponsive. He was later pronounced pronounced dead at the scene, the police said.
The other passenger, a 20-year-old female, has not been identified. She was taken to South County Hospital where she was treated for minor injuries and released.
After the crash, Thole voluntarily submitted to blood tests at South County Hospital, according to police.
The penalty for this charge includes a minimum sentence of five years in jail and a maximum of 15 years in addition to fines ranging from $5,000 to $10,000.