The investigation of part-time Nesquehoning patrolman Steven Homanko's role in a fatal crash on Route 209 between Jim Thorpe and Nesquehoning in May reached the state Office of the Attorney General.

The crash happened just before 6:30 p.m. on May 12. Homanko was recorded telling Carbon County 911 dispatchers that he was trying to stop a car when he lost control of his 2009 Crown Victoria. He crossed over into the left lane and hit an oncoming car, killing 69-year-old Carola Sauers and severely injuring her husband, Michael, 64, who was the driver.The crash happened as Homanko, with the lights and siren activated, rounded a curve about 1 and a half miles north of the intersection of routes 209 and 93, between Nesquehoning and Jim Thorpe.Homanko was taken by ambulance to Lehigh Valley Hospital, Salisbury Township, where he was treated and released.Michael Sauers was a second-grade teacher in the Pleasant Valley School District. Carola was a physical therapy assistant.At about the same time as the crash, scanner reports came in that Jim Thorpe Police saw the yellow Neon Homanko was trying to stop at the intersection of routes 209 and 93 in Jim Thorpe.A short time after the crash, police from several departments 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, but later released.According to court records, Cardone has been in trouble with the law in Nesquehoning and specifically with Homanko before. Most recently, he was charged for falsely identifying himself to police and possessing drug paraphernalia.A state police news release about the crash did not mention how fast Homanko was traveling, and a May 14 news release said there was an indication that Homanko was involved in a pursuit.On Dec. 5, Cpl. Michael Dugan of the Lehighton barracks released a brief statement saying the matter had been turned over to the attorney general's office.