Road worker killed, deputies say driver was intoxicated
»Play Video
NEAR CANBY, Ore. - A construction worker was hit and killed by a car Tuesday evening just north of Canby and Clackamas County Sheriff's Office said the driver who hit him was under the influence.
Deputies identified the 48-year-old worker as Gregory Priest of Salem.
Priest was hit at about 7:40 p.m. on South New Era road near South Haines Road near Canby. Deputies said he was putting out signs warning of road work ahead when he was hit.
Deputies said Bruce Dancer, 41, has been arrested and charged with driving under the influence of intoxicants. Other charges may be pending.
Jail records show that Dancer is from Aurora, Ore.
Canby Fire Department personnel tried to resuscitate Priest before he was flown by LifeFlight to Legacy Emanuel Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Priest worked for a company called Knife River Corporation, which sells construction materials like concrete and asphalt.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Greg’s family, friends and co-workers as they deal with this unnecessary loss,” said Brian Gray, president of Knife River’s operations in Oregon. “This is a tragic reminder to drivers to slow down and pay extra attention in construction zones for their own safety and for the well-being of the men and women who are working there. Safety is more important to us than any job."
Knife River stopped work on this project on Wednesday so workers can grieve Priest's death. Counselors were also called in to help out employees.
The company said some employees wanted to work to help cope with the pain. They were assigned to other projects.
"Knife River asks that you watch out for them today and every day," the company said in a news release.
Priest was the father of two and had worked for Knife River for about a year doing contract work with ODOT.
Deputies said there are no known witnesses to the crash and they are asking for the public's help in the investigation.
Family reaction
Priest's family sent KATU a statement Wednesday that said: "We want to thank everyone for their thoughts and the kindness they have extended to us today, and also for respecting our privacy during this difficult time. This is hard beyond words. Not only did we lose our fun-loving, hard-working Greg in that accident, but his 6-year-old son lost his father. We are a close family, which makes this so hard to take but also helps hold us together. We will miss our time with Greg -- particularly the fishing trips he loved so much -- and we will keep his memory alive for his son. Thank you again for your prayers and understanding."
Priest's girlfriend, Kristi Huddy, said that after four months of dating, they were already talking marriage. They spent Sunday night fishing Detroit Lake.
On her Facebook page she wrote:
"Devastation isn't a big enough word... theres (sic) no glue to put our hearts back together...i miss him so much"
Helicopter Rescue
Fourteen years ago, Priest risked his life trying to save a helicopter pilot in a fiery crash.
In 1998, Priest and longtime friend Dan Mitchell witnessed the helicopter crash in Sublimity, Ore.
"All of the sudden it just went into a nosedive straight down," Mitchell said Wednesday. "Greg took off running out across the field. When I showed up Greg was pulling one guy out of the helicopter. I ran over and seen the foot of another guy, tried to get to him, but by then the flames were too hot. We couldn't get the other guy out."
Neither Priest nor Mitchell knew the crash instantly killed the two men on board.
If anyone saw the crash, they are asked to contact the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office's confidential Tip Line by phone at 503-723-4949, or by using the online e-mail form.
KATU News reporter Patrick Preston contributed to this report.
My thoughts and prayers go out to the family. I just lost my uncle back in october here in minnesota while working on the side of 35w in burnsville as a red sports car lost control and hit him and his co worker. I can totally understand what they are going though at this time. All the young driver from kansas city mo got was a careless driving for hitting and killing two workers which i am still pissed about today still. If you kill someone on the job i would of thought it would be like jail time for a long time or something more but sounds like for the man who hit my uncle will get a 100 to 1,000 dollar fine or max of 90 days in jail at least thats how the laws are here in mn. Im just so mad at my state right now and im going to start working on getting our laws changed and have better protection for the workers and making sure the speed limits are down lower than what they were cause it was still 70mph on 35w when it was down to two lanes.
There may never even be a trial. Keep in mind there were no witnesses, that we know of that have come forward. If there is not enough evidence, and the DA is still saying IF.....there will be no trial.
DUI+ kill somebody=murder
In no way does my comment mean to minimize the resent loss of another state DOT worker in a construction zone. This is a suggestion to maybe eliminate future loss. COMPLIANCE is often deluted by COMPLACENCY because the "DOT work zones" are not closed once the work has been completed. It seems the "work zones" are kept in tact long after our DOT workers have come and gone and the signs are kept up until they are tattered.  There are so many of them that we don't know which are "left overs" or the real thing. Yes! I understand that we should respect all of them regardless....but that isn't happening is it?
This was not a DOT (Departmet of Transportation) worker. It was a worker for a a subcontractor that was doing the paving. They generally leave barrels and cones in place, but pull them to the shoulder for the next evening or however long the work in that area may last. They lay the signs face down. This type of paving goes quickly so I doubt the cones and barrels would hav estayed in the same area for longer than a few days.
Â
Probably should understand what you are talking about first.
@Duvie23 - You obviously missed the point. Regardless of this situation, people are not paying attention to the "work zone" signs because too much of the time they are left up (regardless of whom put them up) when no work is being done. Maybe you need to heed your own advise.Â
 @Donna  @Duvie23 My mom drove past this area about 15 minutes prior to the crash. She said at that time, the victim was out placing the cones to designate the construction zone. She waved, drove on, and when she came back 30 minutes later saw the aftermath. This wasn't a 'left-up' construction zone.Â
@Duvie23 Well again, yes you did miss the point. I didn't want to trivalize the loss of anyone, sorry I thought the gent that lost his life worked for the ODOT. You obviously work for the ODOT so let me pose the question to you. Why are there signs that remain up stating "work zone - fines will double" when there are rarely any work crews on site? There are at least 3 of these areas on my way to or from work on I 5 ... that was the point I was trying to make. Signs of work zones with no workers breeds complacency. This observation may not be applied to this news reports situation, but I still think that these signs lose their power to get attention to slow down and stay more alert when you are coming upon crews on duty when the signs are visable 24/7 crews or no crews.
@Donna I didnt miss the point....You said..."loss of another state DOT worker"...which was wrong!!! He wasn't a DOT worker.
Â
A paving operation like the one happening is not your normal DOT work zone. The signs do not stay up and most times each night they are moved to a new location.
OK ODOT...WE PROTECT OUR NAVY SEALS, OUR TROOPS, OUR OFFICERS OF THE LAW, ETC. AND WHY DO I SEE 'SORT OF YOUNG OR OLD LOOKING GIRLS' DIRECTING TRAFFIC IN CONSTRUCTION ZONES. IN THE EARLY MORNING THEY LOOK SLEEPY AND LATE OF NITE....WELL, WHO KNOWS. Â I HAVE TRAVELED FROM OREGON TO THE MIDWEST IN THE PAST MONTH AND LOTS AND LOTS OF CONSTRUCTION...I WAS WEARY ABOUT THE DIRECTION I (AND ALL OF THE TRAFFICE) WAS GIVEN BY THESE NOVICES. Â STEP IT UP!!!Â
 @nonas76Â
Â
Excuse me but I am having trouble understanding what you just wrote?!?
Make these drunk drivers do comunity service where they have to see what carnage they create when they`re intoxicated. Jail dosen`t hardly do A bit of good for some of these people. Besides the taxpayers support them in jail with more privliges than some of us have. Bring back the chain gang.
Alcohol is so much safer than cannabis.
Dancer has admitted that he was not in fact drunk but ONLY has smoked pot after he got off work.
Will any punishment he gets be doubled due to the infraction happening in a work zone?
Dancer should go and shovel the grave of the construction worker, so he can actually have a tangible lesson in drunk driving.Â
Â
Driving drunk is not only stupid, it is life-ending.Â
 @washcomom "Dancer should go and shovel the grave of the construction worker, so he can actually have a tangible lesson in drunk driving. "
Â
This I agree with.
I used to work with Bruce about a year ago . He was a good guy. He made a some very bad choices. I told him to lay off the sauce and he didn't. Now he'll be paying for it forever.
Give him a life sentence for killing a man. He chose to drink, he chose to drive, he took a life, and if it were up to me we should take his for his irresponsibility.
 @Oregon_University_of_Made_in_China "he took a life, and if it were up to me we should take his for his irresponsibility."
Â
Then it's a good thing it's not up to you.
This was no "accident". There's no such thing. It was pure negligence and irresponsibility.
I hope they charge him with vehicular homicide and he loses his license and car for life besides going to prison for a long time.
Not another drunk driver "accident"! This is getting totally out of control.
An eye for an eye I say.
I've done a lot of stupid things in my time. Drinking and Driving was never one of those things.
The penalties for DUI are not severe enough if people are considering drinking and driving worth the risk . . .
@seriously2 True story. The one thing I really hate is the repeat drunk drivers that hurt/kill people. These are the one's that need to go away for a long, long time. You won't stop them from driving & drinking unless they are locked up.
 @Billy Batts  @seriously2 I'd also propose minimum 30 day jail time . . . a heavy fine and loss of the automobile they were driving . . . driving is a privilege not a right . . .
any one who commits this kind of act should be charged with Murder. If there aware they are driving drunk, then charge them with Vehicular Homicide and then add to it the Death penalty. That would curb any from driving Drunk.
 @lee986321 "...then add to it the Death penalty"
Â
Then it's a good thing you're not in charge of our justice system. Kill 'em all huh? An eye for an eye? Gee that's forward thinking. Go back to Texas you hick.
The death penalty? give me A break, That dosen`t even work for killers here in good old orygun. Your dear old guv would repeal that in notime.
 @lee986321Â
Actually increasing penalties doesn't work. Â The problem is that people who are drunk are not making rational decisions, so trying to use penalties is not going to stop drinking and driving. Â This guy killed someone though, and he needs to go to jail.
@TB @lee986321 It will work if you keep them in prison for 30 years and when they get out and drive and get caught, give them life without parole. Of course this means we'll have to build more prisons, that means higher taxes. I'll pay higher taxes for public safety if needed.
 @Billy Batts @TB  @lee986321
Sorry, won't work. The libs will never allow their precious, vote buying tax dollars to incarcerate those most likely to vote for them. Plus it would take away money for their pet projects that also buy votes.
This comment has been deleted
I wish states would treat this as pre- meditated murder. The victims and thier families pay with thier lives and the affects if has on them Why shouldn't the drivers who commit these horrible crimes?
 @justsayn'Â
Â
What? Â How is this pre-mediated murder? Â Unless he was trying to kill the worker intentionally, and planned to do so in advance, it is not pre-mediated, hence why there is a distinction in the first place. Â What you mean to say is you think their should be special penalties in cases like this?
Yes he did intentionally get drunk and got behind the wheel knowing what could happen. People that do this need to be behind bars for the rest of thier lifes. If some one did this to a family member of mine I would want them doing life in jail.
 @justsayn' It still isn't pre-meditated. It is Negligent Homicide. There is a huge difference between between purposely intending to kill someone, or killing them as a result of stupid behaviour.
Bruce Dancer will get a minimum of 5 years in prison (not nearly enough) and go to his grave knowing he took an innocent person's life. Was it worth it Bruce?Â
I bet he will get over it. People like this don't care that they are out killing innocent people.
 @2012 Hope and Change "People like this don't care that they are out killing innocent people."
Â
Â
Don't speak about that which you know nothing about. I actually know the guy. We worked together for a couple of years...he was a genuinely nice guy. He's the guy who would go out of his way to say hello to you..he would help you out of a tough spot in a second and not give a thought about 'what's in it for me'.
Â
What happened was a tragedy. I really feel for the deceased and his family. But Bruce was not some monster. He had a drinking problem. He made a terrible mistake and drove drunk and he killed someone. He deserves whatever punishment the justice system deals out but don't ever think that he's heartless. I can guarantee that he'll carry this with him for the rest of his life.
I have to wonder how many DUII's he has had before. Those that have DUII's should not be allowed to own a car since many drive without a license.
 @RalphCramdenÂ
Â
Right, but impractical to implement.  Ignition breathalyzer locks are more effective, but if you can get a sober person to blow in it, it can be bypassed.  If someone is willing to drive without a licence, why are they going to respect laws that say they can't own a car and not have it owned under someone else's name yet drive it all the time?
This comment has been deleted
 @August100Â
Was this guy in one of those programs? Â Don't see it reported, if not, your comment is not relevant.
Zero tolerance for DUI's.  Get as drunk as you want, just don't drive!  There are absolutely NO excuses in this day and age for driving impaired!
Lawmakers have their collective heads in the sand pertaining to punishment involving drunk driving...... These lawmakers fear stiff penalties because of their own actions pertaining to drunk driving... (just a thought).
 @Funky-Munky As I drive through different states like Illinois or Missiour,  I see state billboard signs with a warning saying,  "Kill a worker, $10,000 fine and 14 years in Jail."  Maybe that would make a difference here in Oregon?  Lets petition our state lawmakers to increase the penalty.  My Condolences to Gregory Priest's Family!  I am very sorry that Gregory has been killed and that your loss is very real!  Fred Finster
 @Fred Finster Same for my state of minnesota. I lost my uncle back in october on 35w while working on our roads. A red sports car lost control and hit him and his co worker that afternoon. The driver from kansas city mo 21 just got a careless driving and thats all he got. He said he looked down to turn off his cruise control but i think he is lieing about it considering he stoped at lakeville target before the accident.
Thank you very much....His boys are going to have a tough road ahead of them, but they are hanging in there.