NESQUEHONING -- A police officer is now charged with homicide by vehicle after a deadly crash nearly a year ago.
That police officer in Carbon County was arrested Wednesday morning for his involvement in that deadly crash.
At the time of last year's crash on Route 209, Steven Homanko was a part-time officer for the Nesquehoning police department. Now, he faces charges including homicide by vehicle.
A woman from Hazleton died in the crash last May.
According to court paperwork, Steven Homanko, 26, was going 113 miles per hour just before his police cruiser slammed into Carola Sauers' vehicle on Route 209 in Nesquehoning.
Sauers, 69, died from her injuries. Her husband Michael spent more than a month in the hospital recovering from his injuries.
Now Homanko is facing homicide by vehicle and other charges for that wreck. Homanko was working part-time for the Nesquehoning police department last May. He told investigators he had lights and sirens on as he pursued another vehicle for a traffic violation.
Homanko says he never went over 70 miles per hour, but according to court papers and witnesses, state police believe he reached speeds of 113 miles per hour.
Investigators say that's when Homanko lost control and hit the Sauers' car.
People who travel in that area of Route 209 in Nesquehoning were shocked to hear that a cop may have been going that fast.
"It has a lot of curves and Nesquehoning, yeah, it's not a good road to be going really fast on," said Denise Deblin of Jim Thorpe.
Homanko's dashboard camera was not recording at the time of the crash, even though those cameras are supposed to record when the lights and sirens are switched on.
People in Nesquehoning say it was time the officer be held responsible for the crash.
"He messed up. He's going to pay for it and it's sad that a family had to lose their life," said Suzanne Middleton of Nesquehoning.
"I believe there should have been no reason for that to happen at all and he deserves whatever he's going to get, hopefully some time in jail," said Steven Teirlich of Nesquehoning.
People in Nesquehoning say if Homanko did cause that crash, then he should be facing those criminal charges. However, they also say that one officer's actions shouldn't be a reflection on the entire borough police department.
"I don't think that a bad apple should ruin the reputation of other cops," Middleton said.
Newswatch 16 reached out to Steven Homanko. His family had no comment.
Nesquehoning borough council suspended Homanko after the incident and he has not worked there since. There could be a vote about Homanko's status at a borough meeting later this month.
The case against Homanko is being prosecuted by the Pennsylvania Attorney General's office.
