[ad_1]
CANFIELD, Ohio — The Steel Valley Pipes and Drums is mourning Trooper Nicholas P. Cayton, 40, who died in the line of duty Thursday morning after he was struck while helping a disabled vehicle on Route 11 in Mahoning County, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
The organization, for which he was a founding member back in 2018, called Cayton a “devoted father” and a “loyal friend” in an official statement.
“Through his service as a trooper and his passion for music, Nick embodied duty, tradition, and heart,” their statement reads. “Whenever the band came together, he filled every moment with laughter, song, and camaraderie.”
Cayton went to State Route 11 northbound at about 11:52 a.m. Thursday after getting a report of a broken down semi-truck. After speaking with the truck driver, Nelson De Jesus Herrera Vasquez, 65, from Florida, it was found his vehicle hit something on the road.
Cayton was in his marked cruiser with lights on when a Mack Granite driven by Ryan Rach, 35, crashed into it. Rach crashed into the cruiser and the semi, which hit Vasquez.
At the scene, Trooper Cayton was pronounced dead; Vasquez was transported to a hospital via helicopter. The driver sustained no injuries in the accident. An investigation into the crash is ongoing.
In honor of Cayton, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine ordered that U.S. and Ohio flags should be flown at half staff at public buildings and grounds in Mahoning County: the Statehouse, Vern Riffe Center and Rhodes State Office Tower, until sunset the day of the trooper’s funeral.
The Steel Valley Pipes and Drums said Cayton also played pipes for the Ohio State Highway Patrol Pipe Band. They ask that people keep his loved ones, colleagues and bandmates in their thoughts and prayers during this time. They also said his “courage, sacrifice, and unwavering commitment to his community will never be forgotten.”
“To say that Nick was a devoted father is an understatement,” their statement reads. “He was the truest example of a family man — deeply involved in his children’s lives and always putting his family before anything else. Nick was full of love, humor, and joy, and we will forever be grateful to have known him not only as a bandmate and friend but as part of our extended family.”
[ad_2]
Cody Thompson, Ryan Johnston
Source link