A stretch of Kemper Road through the Princeton corridor carries a new name after Gov. Mike DeWine signed legislation honoring a patrolman killed in the line of duty in 1953.

The new law designates the portion of East Kemper Road between Tri-County Parkway and Lebanon Road as the "Patrolman Earl W. Casterline Memorial Highway." State Rep. Karen Brownlee (D-Symmes Township) announced the signing Wednesday, Sept. 2, saying DeWine had signed Senate Bill 52, which included her House Bill 432 as an amendment.

Casterline died just before his 26th birthday when his patrol vehicle was struck by a train on Kemper Road in October 1953. He had been pursuing a fleeing suspect. The railroad crossing where the crash occurred was unmarked and obscured by trees and shrubs, according to Brownlee's office.

"I appreciate the partnership of his daughter, Lynne, and my colleagues in the Senate who worked hard to include HB 432 in the omnibus," Brownlee said in the announcement.

Brownlee, who represents District 28, sponsored HB 432. She said it was her first bill to pass the Ohio House. The measure was referred to the House Transportation Committee and later the Senate Transportation Committee before being folded into SB 52, according to legislative records. The bill enacts Section 5534.482 of the Ohio Revised Code.

Casterline's daughter, Lynne, worked with Brownlee's office to secure the designation. Brownlee credited Lynne's partnership and the support of Senate colleagues in getting HB 432 included in the omnibus legislation.

The renamed segment runs east from Tri-County Parkway to Lebanon Road, a route used daily by commuters in Sharonville, Springdale and surrounding communities. No dedication ceremony or sign-unveiling date had been announced as of Sept. 4.