CANFIELD, Ohio — A 40-year-old Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper was killed in the line of duty Thursday when a semi-truck crashed into his cruiser as he assisted a disabled tractor-trailer along State Route 11 in Mahoning County, according to officials.

Authorities said Trooper Nicholas Cayton had responded just before noon to reports of a disabled semi stopped in the right lane south of U.S. 224. As Cayton sat in his marked cruiser with emergency lights activated, a 2007 Mack Granite truck, driven by 35-year-old Ryan Rach, struck the cruiser from behind, forcing it into the disabled semi and its driver, Jesus Herrera Vasquez, who was standing beside it.

Trooper Cayton was pronounced dead at the scene, the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) confirmed. According to Cleveland 19 News, Vasquez was airlifted to a nearby hospital for treatment, while Rach was uninjured.

“This is a tragedy for the Ohio State Highway Patrol and the Ohio Department of Public Safety,” said Patrol Superintendent Col. Charles Jones. “Our prayers go out to the Cayton family during this difficult time.”

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost called Cayton a “fallen hero,” adding that “in service and sacrifice, Trooper Cayton honored the badge and fulfilled his sacred oath to the community.”

Governor Mike DeWine has ordered U.S. and state flags flown at half-staff across Mahoning County and at state buildings, including the Statehouse, until sunset on the day of Trooper Cayton’s funeral.

The crash remains under investigation by the OSHP Vehicular Crimes Unit.

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