(COLUMBUS, Ohio)— In honor of the lives of Concord-Green Fire Chief Ralph Stegbauer and Fire Captain Jeffery Skaggs, Governor Mike DeWine has ordered the flags of the United States and the state of Ohio to be flown at half-staff upon all public buildings and grounds throughout Fayette County, the Ohio Statehouse, the Vern Riffe Center, and the Rhodes State Office Tower today, and will remain until sunset on the day of their funerals. This flag lowering will run concurrently with the flag lowering to honor former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, which is in effect until November 29th.
According to the Fayette County Sheriff’s office, on Saturday morning at 11:05 a.m., the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office 9-1-1 Center received a call of an overturned mechanical lift with injuries. First responders arriving on scene identified the victims in the overturned lift as Concord-Green Fire Chief Ralph Stegbauer and Fire Captain Jeffery Skaggs. Both sustained fatal injuries in the accident and were pronounced dead at the scene by Fayette County Coroner Dr. Lenora Fitton.
The initial investigation has revealed that Chief Stegbauer and Captain Skaggs were utilizing the lift to make repairs to the radio tower outside the firehouse when the lift tipped over, ejecting both of them from the tower basket from several feet in the air. The FCSO is continuing their investigation of the accident with assistance from the Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office Crash Reconstruction team.
All other public buildings and grounds throughout the state may lower at their discretion for the same time period.
