Procession planned for North Royalton firefighter killed in Broadview Heights fire
Riders and drivers can expect heavy traffic on Route 82 and Pearl Road as mourners honor Ryan Milligan, 36, who died a week after a house fire.
By Alina Campbell ·
Motorists and pedestrians should expect a moving procession through Northeast Ohio on Monday morning. The funeral for Ryan Milligan, a North Royalton firefighter killed in the line of duty last week, is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. from Busch Funeral and Crematory Services in Parma.
Milligan, 36, of Seven Hills, died on Monday, Nov. 2, while fighting a house fire in the 2100 block of West Royalton Road in Broadview Heights. He leaves behind a wife and two young children. A second firefighter, Andrew Protsman, 38, of Parma, suffered serious injuries in the same incident and remains in the hospital.
The procession will travel south on Ridge Road to Route 82. It will turn west onto Route 82, passing the North Royalton fire station, before continuing to York Road. The group will turn north onto York Road, passing the second North Royalton fire station, then west onto Sprague Road. The route concludes with a right turn onto Pearl Road, leading to Grace Church in Middleburg Heights.
The funeral service is set for 11 a.m. at Grace Church, located on Pearl Road in Middleburg Heights. Following the service, the procession will turn right onto Pearl Road to West 130th Street. It will proceed north on West 130th Street to Brookpark Road, then west on Brookpark Road to Holy Cross Cemetery.
Community members are invited to line the route to support Milligan’s family and the fire service. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine ordered the United States flag and the State of Ohio flag to be flown at half-staff until sunset on the day of the funeral.
The State Fire Marshal’s Fire and Explosion Investigations Bureau is leading the inquiry into the blaze. The bureau is working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
Firefighters from North Royalton and Broadview Heights responded to the scene on Nov. 2. Units from Seven Hills and Brecksville also assisted at the fire.
