CANFIELD, Ohio – An Ohio State Trooper is dead after being struck while helping a stranded semi trucker.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) announced the line-of-duty death of Trooper Nicholas P. Cayton, 40, who was fatally struck while assisting a disabled vehicle on state Route 11 in Mahoning County Thursday morning.
According to a release issued by OSHP, at around 11:52 a.m., Cayton responded to state Route 11 northbound, south of U.S. 224, following reports of a disabled 2024 Kenworth semi tractor-trailer stopped in the right lane. Upon making contact with the semi driver, Nelson De Jesus Herrera Vasquez, 65, of Florida, it was determined his vehicle had struck an item in the roadway.
While still on scene, Cayton was sitting in his marked cruiser with his emergency overhead lights activated when a 2007 Mack Granite, driven by Ryan Rach, 35, of Canfield, traveling northbound crashed into the back of his cruiser. The cruiser then traveled forward into the back of the disabled tractor-trailer, also striking Vasquez who was standing outside of his vehicle.
Cayton was pronounced dead at the scene and Vasquez was life-flighted to a nearby hospital for treatment. Rach was uninjured in the crash.
Bruce Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has lived in three states including Arkansas, Missouri and Georgia. During his nearly 20-year career, Bruce has served as managing editor and sports editor for numerous publications. He and his wife, Dana, who is also a journalist, are based in Carrollton, Georgia.
I understand what is wrong with drivers who cannot seem to be able to pay attention to their surroundings and driving. We really need to reassess who we license to drive.