A former Nesquehoning police officer was sentenced in Carbon County court today for his role in a crash that resulted in a woman’s death.

Steven Homanko, 27, will serve 3 to 23 months in the county prison, followed by two years probation.He will begin serving time on Saturday,It is up to the Carbon County warden’s discretion whether he will serve in Carbon or be sent to another county.In September, the former Nesquehoning police officer pleaded guilty in Carbon County Court to causing a May 2014 crash that killed a woman and injured her husband.Homanko, 27, pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide and related charges.He admitted to causing the crash that killed 69-year-old Carola Sauers and injured her husband, Michael.At 6:21 p.m. May 12, 2014, the part-time Nesquehoning patrolman was chasing a Dodge Neon, heading toward Jim Thorpe and pushing his 2009 Crown Victoria to 113 mph in the 55 mph zone on Route 209 in Nesquehoning.Two minutes later, Homanko lost control of the cruiser and crashed into an oncoming small car driven by second-grade teacher Michael Sauers, then 64, whose wife, Carola Sauers, 69, a physical therapy assistant, sat next to him in the passenger seat.“I just crashed. I just crashed … I need medics,” Homanko told dispatchers, according to scanner reports.Carola died of her injuries a short time later; Michael lay in a hospital bed for a month, undergoing multiple surgeries.Before sentencing Homanko read a statement expressing his sorrow to the family. He choked up a few times while reading the statement, telling the family he still has nightmares about it.He has been undergoing couseling and the judge ordered him to continue for at least another year.Prosecutor Anthony Forray said that the department had a policy where they did not engage in high-speed pursuit in cases that only involved a traffic violation.Nesquehoning council placed Homanko on administrative leave the month of the incident, and officially fired him March 24.Senior Judge John J. Rufe was brought in from Bucks County to hear the case, after all three Carbon County Common Pleas Court judges recused themselves from the case.Carbon County District Attorney Jean Engler also recused her office from the case.