The investigation of Nesquehoning patrolman Steven Homanko's role in a fatal crash on Route 209 last May is now in the hands of the state Office of the Attorney General.

"The Pennsylvania State Police have turned over all of the information from their investigation to the Pennsylvania Attorney General's office for a prosecutorial decision," said Corporal Michael Dugan of the Lehighton barracks."We cannot comment on ongoing investigations," said Renee Martin, spokeswoman for the Office of Attorney General Kathleen Kane.Homanko has an unlisted telephone number and could not be reached for comment.Nesquehoning Police Chief Sean Smith declined to comment on the advice of borough attorneys.It was just before 6:30 p.m. on May 12 when Homanko, who told dispatchers he was attempting to stop a yellow Dodge Neon, lost control of his 2009 Crown Victoria, crossing over into the oncoming lane and crashing into an oncoming 2007 Toyota Yaris, killing 69-year-old Carola Sauers and severely injuring her husband, Michael, 64, who was the driver.The Sauerses were from Hazleton. Michael Sauers was a second-grade teacher in the Pleasant Valley School District. Carola, born in Germany, was a physical therapy assistant.The crash happened as Homanko, with the lights and siren activated, rounded a curve about one and one-half miles north of the intersection of routes 209 and 93, between Nesquehoning and Jim Thorpe."I just crashed. I just crashed ... I need medics," Homanko told dispatchers at 6:22 p.m., according to scanner reports.Homanko was taken by ambulance to Lehigh Valley Hospital, Salisbury Township, where he was treated and released.A state police news release about the crash did not mention how fast Homanko was traveling.On May 14, Trooper David Peters of the Hazleton barracks said, "We have no evidence he was involved in a pursuit."At about the same time as the crash, scanner reports came in that Jim Thorpe Police saw the yellow Neon at the traffic light at the intersection of routes 209 and 93 in Jim Thorpe.A short time after the crash, police from several departments, including Franklin Township, Jim Thorpe, Kidder Township and Summit Hill, converged on Jim Thorpe and stopped the Neon. The woman driving the car, who has yet to be identified, was given field sobriety tests, then she and her passenger, Michael Cardone of Lehighton, were released. The car was impounded.Cardone, who has been charged in the past by Homanko, has told the Times News no charges were filed against either of them after the stop, and that police had not been chasing the car."There were no sirens," he told the Times News in a May 13 telephone interview. "There was definitely no cop chasing after us. Nobody pulled us over until we got into Jim Thorpe."According to court records, Cardone has been in trouble with the law in Nesquehoning and specifically Homanko before. Most recently, he was charged for falsely identifying himself to police and possessing drug paraphernalia.Before that, he was cited twice in 2013, once for an unregistered vehicle and also for driving under suspension.By 6:30 p.m., Route 209 at the intersection of Route 93 in Nesquehoning and in the area of the Liberties in Jim Thorpe was shut down to traffic and the state police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Specialist Unit was called to investigate.The Sauerses were transported to the Panther Valley Elementary School in Nesquehoning, where they were flown to St. Luke's University Hospital-Bethlehem Campus. Carola was pronounced dead at the hospital. Michael was hospitalized for severe injuries, state police said.On May 27, Nesquehoning Borough Council put Homanko on unpaid administrative leave. Council President David Hawk at the time said Homanko had not worked any shifts since the crash due to his medical condition and would not be scheduled until the investigation is complete.Homanko was hired by the borough as a part-time patrolman in July 2013.Bob Ford contributed to this report.