Governor Mike DeWine has ordered that flags be flown at half-staff across portions of Ohio in honor of Ohio State Highway Patrol Trooper Nicholas P. Cayton, who was killed in the line of duty Thursday afternoon.
Flags of the United States and the State of Ohio will be lowered on all public buildings and grounds throughout Mahoning County, as well as at the Ohio Statehouse, Vern Riffe Center, and Rhodes State Office Tower in Columbus. The order will remain in effect until sunset on the day of Trooper Cayton’s funeral. Other public buildings and grounds across the state may also lower flags at their discretion during the same period.
Trooper Cayton was fatally struck by a Mack truck while assisting a disabled tractor-trailer on State Route 11 in Canfield around noon Thursday. According to investigators, Cayton was seated in his patrol cruiser with emergency lights activated when the truck collided with his vehicle, pushing it into the disabled tractor-trailer. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the disabled vehicle was taken to a hospital for treatment, while the driver of the Mack truck was not injured.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost issued a statement expressing his condolences following the tragedy.
“In service and sacrifice, Trooper Cayton honored the badge and fulfilled his sacred oath to the community,” Yost said. “My deepest condolences are with the family, friends and colleagues of this fallen hero.”
Trooper Cayton’s death marks a solemn reminder of the risks faced daily by law enforcement officers across the state. Funeral arrangements have not yet been publicly announced.
