Man Dies in Construction-Related Accident on I-205 in Oregon

The victim was fatally injured when a steel bar landed on a control pedal for the backhoe.

Photo of scene: Oregon State Police

(Tualatin, Ore.) - A contract construction worker was killed Sunday night from injuries suffered when he was pinned between a backhoe's stabilizer landing gear and the rear bucket while working in a highway construction project on Interstate 205 just north of Interstate 5.

Lieutenant Gregg Hastings with Oregon State Police says the victim has been identified as 47-year old David Leroy Lasley.

Investigators are attempting to confirm his current residence location. A brother of the victim who resides in Lakeview was notified Monday morning.

Sunday at approximately 9:35 PM, ODOT, Oregon State Police and Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue responded to the report of a man injured while working in the Interstate 205 highway construction project on the southbound side.

Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue personnel initially treated Mr. Lasley and was preparing for transport by LifeFlight helicopter when the victim was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Oregon State Police and Clackamas County Medical Examiner are conducting the death investigation. An Oregon OSHA (Occupational Health & Safety Division) inspector also responded to the scene to investigate.

Hastings says preliminary investigation indicates workers for Oregon Mainline Paving Inc. were in the processing of moving concrete jersey barriers temporarily placed along the southbound lanes.

"The victim was standing behind a stationary Caterpillar 4x4 backhoe holding a heavy steel device used to remove connector pins from the concrete barriers when he set it down on a floor pedal that controls the horizontal movement of the backhoe's rear bucket arm. The bucket swung to the left, pinning the victim between the bucket and the left stabilizer landing gear."

The operator of the backhoe saw what had just happened and swung the bucket back to the right releasing pressure against the victim, according to Hastings.