CANFIELD — The Canfield post of the Ohio Highway Patrol mourned one of their own, after a trooper died Thursday morning in a multi-vehicle crash on state Route 11.

Nicholas Cayton, 40, had responded to state Route 11 northbound, south of U.S. Route 224, at around noon to assist a disabled semi-truck in the right lane.

Upon making contact, it was determined that the driver Nelson De Jesus Herrera Vasquez’ vehicle had struck an item in the road.

While still on scene, Cayton was sitting in his cruiser with his emergency lights on when another tractor-trailer driven by Ryan Rach, of Canfield, rearended the cruiser, forcing it into to the back of the disabled semi, striking Vasquez, who was in the roadway, in the process.

Cayton was pronounced dead at the scene, and Vasquez was airlifted to a nearby hospital for treatment.

No information was available regarding Vasquez’ condition.

Rach was not injured.

This crash remains under investigation.

All lanes had been closed on state Route 11 going both directions beyond state Route 46 and Columbiana Canfield Road, so troopers were encouraging drivers to find alternative routes to avoid the area.

The Canfield post was assisted at the scene by the Boardman Township, Canfield, Ellsworth fire departments, the Canfield Police Department, Mahoning County Sheriff, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and the Ohio Department of Transportation.