Ghanbari to Honor State Highway Patrol Sgt. Raby with Sign Dedication Ceremony

State Rep. Haraz N. Ghanbari (R-Perrysburg) is scheduled to host a sign dedication ceremony in Wood County to honor Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) Sgt. Frederick A. Raby on Tuesday, October 6th at the Bowling Green Post of the OSHP.

“Just over thirty years ago, on September 1, 1990, State Highway Patrol Sergeant Raby was critically injured in a traffic accident on the Ohio Turnpike near mile marker 70 in Wood County,” said Ghanbari. “He was in his patrol car, which was stopped behind a violator on the right berm with flashing lights in full operation. Another vehicle traveling at full speed drove off the roadway and struck his patrol vehicle from behind.”

Sgt. Raby received many critical injuries in the crash, including severe head trauma, a broken neck, broken hip, shoulder and leg injuries. He was life-flighted to the former Medical College of Ohio in Toledo.

“At one point the doctors gave him a five percent chance of survival. But Fred was physically fit, an Army veteran and he had a strong will to live,” said Ghanbari. “He slowly improved and was transferred to a rehabilitation center in Howell, Michigan which specialized in traumatic brain injuries. He spent a year there and was then transferred to the Eisenhower Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan, a longer term TBI facility where he continued to receive care and therapy.”

This sign dedication ceremony is part of the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission’s Move Over Sign Program. The Commission authorized the program in 2018 and has since honored 12 individuals who perished in work zones or while otherwise performing their duties for the Ohio Turnpike and OSHP. Ghanbari worked closely with the Commission and OSHP for the placement of the sign to honor Sgt. Raby due to the debilitating extent of his injuries. The sign, located at Ohio Turnpike Milepost 69.9 westbound in Wood County, aims to prevent future tragedies by urging motorists to move over for first responders and highway workers with flashing lights on highways. Ohio's Move Over law requires all drivers to move over one lane while passing by any stationary vehicle with flashing or rotating lights on the roadside.

The sign dedication ceremony for Sgt. Raby will be held on Oct. 6, 2020 at 10 a.m. at the Bowling Green Post of the Ohio Highway Patrol, located at 12891 Middleton Pike, Bowling Green, OH 43402.