CANFIELD, Ohio — What began as a routine call for help ended in heartbreak when 40-year-old Trooper Nicholas P. Cayton lost his life Thursday while responding to a disabled semi-truck on State Route 11 in Mahoning County. Around 11:52 a.m., Cayton had pulled up to assist a stopped 2024 Kenworth tractor-trailer, its driver stranded after hitting debris in the roadway.
Cayton sat in his marked patrol cruiser, emergency lights flashing, as he prepared to help. But tragedy struck suddenly: a northbound 2007 Mack Granite truck, driven by 35-year-old Ryan Rach of Canfield, slammed into the back of Cayton’s cruiser. The force pushed Cayton’s vehicle forward into the disabled semi, striking the truck’s driver, Nelson De Jesus Herrera Vasquez, who had stepped outside. The collision was catastrophic.
Trooper Cayton was declared dead at the scene. The driver he was trying to assist, Vasquez, was airlifted to a nearby hospital with serious injuries. Rach, the driver of the Mack truck, emerged from the crash unhurt. Authorities say the crash remains under investigation.
In mourning, the Ohio State Highway Patrol issued a solemn message: “Today, the Patrol lost a member of our family.” Governors and state leaders joined in honoring Cayton’s sacrifice. Governor Mike DeWine ordered flags across Ohio to fly at half-staff and expressed his deep sorrow, calling the loss “heartbreaking” for Cayton’s family, the OSHP, and all Ohioans.
Among those responding to the scene were local fire departments (Canfield, Boardman Township, Ellsworth), Canfield Police, Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, and the Ohio Department of Transportation. Investigators from multiple agencies worked to piece together the moments leading up to the fatal crash.
As news spread, the story served as a sobering reminder of the dangers faced daily by law enforcement. Cayton, in his duty to help a stranded motorist, paid the ultimate price. His family, colleagues, and community are left to grapple with the sudden void he leaves behind.
This remains a developing story. Further updates may shed more light on what happened in those final moments—even as the community already mourns a trooper taken too soon.