Oregon highway worker killed by DUI driver www.privateofficer.com

 

Canby OR July 12 2012  A highway worker was struck and killed Tuesday evening on South New Era Road near Canby.

Police were dispatched about 7:40 p.m.to New Era and Haines roads on a report of a crash with a pedestrian and car.

Canby Fire Department crews tried to revive Gregory Priest, 48, of Salem. He was taken by Lifeflight to Legacy Emanuel where he was pronounced dead.

Priest’s family sent KGW the following statement Wednesday night:

“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.”

Bruce Dancer, 41, of Aurora was arrested and accused of DUII. He stopped immediately after the collision and called 9-1-1.

“There was plenty of light you know, it wasn’t in a shady spot or anything like that,” Clackamas Deputy Bryon O’Neil said.

Priest worked for the Knife River Corporation. “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. We provide our team members extensive training to protect themselves and the traveling public, and we ask drivers to look out for us, too. Greg’s death is devastating to us.”

The company provided grief counselors for Priest’s co-workers, several of whom said the best therapy was to simply go back to work on the paving project.

“So they are out there working hard,” Gray said, “Knife River asks that you watch out for them today and every day.”

“He loved his job, he loved his house, he met a new person that was special in his life and he was just happy about life just really doing good, I just hate to see everything cut so short,” neighbor Debbie Harring said.

The accident remains under investigation.

Anyone who may have seen it was asked to call the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office’s confidential Tip Line, 503-723-4949, or by using the online e-mail form.

Source:kgw

Off-duty Marion County sheriff’s deputy killed in motorcycle accident www.privateofficer.com

 

 

SALEM OR July 10 2012 – An off-duty Marion County sheriff’s deputy riding a motorcycle was killed on Interstate 5 north of Albany Sunday afternoon, police said.

Tyler D. Chapman, 33, of Salem, lost control of his 2003 Honda while trying to stop for braking traffic ahead. He went down on the roadway, said Lt. Gregg Hastings.

Minnie J. Bohall, 33, of Creswell, was behind him in her 2005 Dodge Durango and was unable to stop, running over the bike and Chapman, Hastings said.

He was taken to Salem Hospital in serious condition, where he died.

Northbound lanes were partially blocked from 1:40 p.m. until the scene was cleared around 3:40 p.m.

Marion County Sheriff Jason Myers said “we share with his family the grief of his passing as he was also a part of our law enforcement family. Tyler was beloved by his peers and known for his infectious sense of humor. He was consummate professional, dedicated and committed to training and educating law enforcement officers of the future. He will be sorely missed”

Chapman was a graduate of Sprague High School in Salem and joined the Navy before pursuing a career in law enforcement. He was with the sheriff’s office for 13 years.

Chapman is survived by his wife Torry and their two children.

Yale student driving keg-filled U-Haul to tailgate party charged in death of woman www.privateofficer.com

 

NEW HAVEN CT May 7 2012 – A judge has signed an arrest warrant for a Yale student who police say killed one woman and injured two others while driving a keg-filled U-Haul to a Yale football tailgate.

Sources confirmed that a warrant was signed by a judge charging Brendan Ross with misdemeanor motor vehicle counts in connection with the 2011 fatality before the Yale-Harvard game in New Haven.

Ross, who was accompanied by his father, and New Haven attorney William Dow, turned himself in Friday evening at New Haven headquarters.

He is charged with negligent homicide with a motor vehicle and reckless driving.

Dow, the defense attorney for Ross, described the case as a “tragedy.”

He had been in contact with the State’s Attorney’s office and came to an agreement that Ross would surrender on the warrant Friday afternoon after he finished his last final exam at Yale. Ross finished his last final about 30 minutes before he came to police headquarters with his father and attorney. There was no bond required so he was released on a written promise to appear in court.

“If there is any good that comes out of this, Brendan has expressed his condolences from the beginning to the family and those condolences were well received,” Dow said.

David Ross said his family had been in contact with the family of the woman who died.

“We did go to the wake and we did go to the funeral. It was a very emotional opportunity to express our condolences,” he said.

Ross came into police headquarters at about 5:50 p.m., was patted down, placed in handcuffs and brought to the booking room.

Ross was driving to a tailgating area before “The Game” when the U-Haul he was driving accelerated and ran down three women who were walking in the grassy area.

Nancy Barry, 30, of Salem, Mass., was killed. Two other women were injured, including Sarah Short, who has sued Ross and U-Haul in Superior Court.

She claimed the truck was being driven too fast, was not under proper control and was unsafe.

Short, a Yale student from New Haven, said her injuries were caused by negligence of Ross and the U-Haul Company of Connecticut.

Ross passed a field sobriety test at the scene so no blood alcohol test was administered.

Elizabeth Dernbach, 23, also was injured.

After the fatality, Yale tightened tailgating rules. It bans kegs at university athletic events and other functions, and oversized vehicles, such as box trucks or large commercial vehicles, from university lots at athletic events unless driven by a pre-approved authorized vendor.

The university in January had announced that Yale’s president and officers reviewed Yale tailgating policies and those of other universities, and after visiting other stadiums, decided to put the new policy in place.

The new rules also require students and guests to leave the tailgating area after kickoff.

The policy, effective immediately, also said a new vehicle-free area for tailgating will be created, and students who drive can park in another area at the Bowl. Continued…

The release went on to say that Yale is reviewing logistics of Yale Bowl events, including parking, traffic and parking control, security, shuttles and signs, and will implement any changes before next football season.

Woodbury School was charged with felony theft www.privateofficer.com

 

SALEM NH May 4 2012 — A teacher at Woodbury School was charged with felony theft for allegedly stealing another teacher’s camera from his classroom, police said on Wednesday.

Stephen Pierce, 46, of Salem was booked at the Salem police station on Monday night, charged with theft by deception and receiving stolen property.

Police began investigating the camera theft on April 6.

A sixth-grade teacher at Woodbury School reported to police that a Nikon camera worth $679 was taken from his classroom, according to Patten.

Police suggested on Wednesday that they are investigating other cases of theft possibly linked to Pierce.

“While we have made an arrest in this case, we believe there may have been similar types of theft, and he may be a suspect in those cases as well,” Deputy Police Chief Shawn Patten said.

School Resource Officer Robert Genest asked an administrative assistant at the police department to review local pawn slips to see if the camera turned up at a nearby second-hand store, police said.

The assistant found a slip on April 20 that matched the stolen camera, Patten said.

Genest confirmed the stolen camera was sold by Pierce, according to police. Pierce had to submit his driver’s license to the pawn shop in order to sell it, Patten said.

Such information is regularly shared with police. The camera was pawned for $150, police said.

Pierce was released on $2,500 personal recognizance bail pending arraignment in 10th Circuit Court in Salem.

Each of the charges are Class B felonies, punishable by up to 3½ to 7 years in state prison.

Pierce’s job status remained unclear as of last night.

School officials could not be reached for comment.