CANFIELD, Ohio – An Ohio State Trooper died Thursday morning after being struck by a vehicle while assisting a disabled semi-truck on Route 11 in Mahoning County. Trooper Nicholas P. Cayton, 40, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The incident occurred at approximately 11:52 a.m. on Route 11 northbound when Trooper Cayton responded to a report of a broken-down semi-truck. The driver of the semi, Nelson De Jesus Herrera Vasquez, 65, of Florida, told Trooper Cayton his vehicle had struck an object in the roadway.
While Trooper Cayton was in his marked cruiser, with emergency lights activated, a Mack Granite driven by Ryan Rach collided with the cruiser and the semi-truck, subsequently impacting Vasquez.
Vasquez was transported by helicopter to a local hospital and remains in critical condition. rach sustained no injuries in the crash.
Multiple agencies responded to the scene, including the Canfield Fire Department, Boardman Township Fire Department, Ellsworth Fire Department, Canfield Police Department, Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, and Ohio Department of Transportation.
the Ohio State Highway Patrol is currently investigating the cause of the crash.