COLUMBUS – On May 25, the Ohio State Highway Patrol officially dedicated a stretch of a Miami County roadway in memory of Motor Carrier Enforcement Inspector Kimra J. Skelton, who was killed in the line of duty in November 2019.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol MCEI Kimra Skelton Memorial Highway marker will be displayed in both north and southbound lanes of Interstate 75, between State Routes 41 and 36. House Bill 578 went into effect on April 6, 2023, making the highway dedication possible.
“Today’s highway dedication is in remembrance of Kimra, a devoted motor carrier enforcement inspector of the Ohio State Highway Patrol,” said Colonel Charles A. Jones, Patrol superintendent. “Her attention to detail in dealing with commercial vehicles transporting hazardous materials, and ensuring the safe operation of commercial motor vehicles within Ohio, is what service with a purpose looks like.”
MCEI Skelton was killed when her vehicle was struck while she was parked in a crossover. The following week, more than 900 mourners were lined up outside the Arcanum Field House to pay their respects during the visitation. During the funeral, public safety partners from the Miami Valley region, representatives from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, Indiana State Police, Michigan State Police, Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Wisconsin State Police also paid their respects.
MCEI Skelton joined the Patrol in October 2005 as a traveling dispatcher assigned to the Piqua District Headquarters. In 2011, she transferred to the Piqua Driver License Examination Station as a driver license examiner 1. In 2016, she was promoted to a motor vehicle inspector and transferred to the Piqua District Commercial Enforcement Unit. In 2017, she was promoted to a motor carrier enforcement inspector. She is survived by her husband and two children.