A former Carbon County police officer who was involved in a fatal crash while traveling at a speed estimated at 113 mph was sentenced to a county prison term on Wednesday afternoon during an emotional proceeding.

Steven Homanko, 27, of Beaver Meadows, was sentenced to serve 3 to 23 months in the county prison followed by two years of probation.Judge John Rufe, of Bucks County, ruled that the warden of the county prison, Timothy Fritz, has the discretion to have Homanko serve time in his jail or transfer him to another prison due to the fact he is a former police officer in the county.Homanko, choking up with tears flowing, apologized to Michael Sauers, 65, of Lehighton, and his family. Sauers’ wife, Carola Sauers, 69, died in the crash. Michael Sauers sustained serious injuries and is still recovering.‘Deeply sorry’Homanko read a prepared statement during the proceeding.“I’m deeply sorry at the bottom of my heart,” Homanko said as he turned and faced the Sauers family.“My emotion overcame my good sense that day. I wanted to be a police officer since I was 5.” Homanko continued, “This is on my mind every day.”He said he is receiving counseling as he gets nightmares and has a hard time sleeping.“Whatever happens to me, I’ll go on with my life,” Homanko said. “I do think about you. I hope someday you can forgive me.”Michael Sauers spoke of his wife and what her loss has meant to him and his family.“I continue to be devastated by it. Not a day goes by that I don’t relive it, my final moments with my wife.”Sauers said, “Sometimes I break down and cry. My family and I are working through it.”He spoke of his wife returning to school at age 55, about her zest for life, calling her “vital, engaging and beautiful.”He asked for the “strictest” penalty of the law adding, “He (Homanko) will be able still to live a life. My wife is gone.”Speaking on behalf of Homanko were his mother and grandmother, both saying he had great remorse for what happened.Homanko’s mother told the court, “I have my son, but Mr. Sauers doesn’t have his wife.”Defense attorney Paul Levy asked Rufe to impose a probationary sentence, which he said was available in the mitigated range of state sentencing guidelines. He said Homanko is a different person now and is truly remorseful for what happened. Levy said Homanko was truthful with investigators. He said, “His actions that day were to preserve and protect, but his zealous conduct led to this tragedy.”High-speed chaseDeputy Attorney General Anthony W. Forray took exception to some of what Levy said.He told the court Homanko was not truthful with state police or him in the investigation. He said there were at least five witnesses who said they saw Homanko traveling up Route 93 just 10 minutes before the fatal crash, at speeds estimated at near 100 mph, with no lights or siren activated.Forray said Homanko almost collided head-on with another vehicle on Route 93 but fortunately gained control before it was too late.Forray said Homanko then went down Route 209 at a speed of 113 mph, determined by a state police accident reconstruction team, with his cruiser spinning out of control and the back end colliding with the Sauerses’ vehicle.Forray added Homanko made a “clear effort to mislead the state police and prosecutor.”Forray also said Homanko ignored the policy of the Nesquehoning Police Department, which prohibits officers from engaging in high-speed chases for summary offenses. Homanko had said he was in pursuit of a vehicle that made an illegal pass at the intersection of routes 93 and 209.Forray asked for a sentence in the aggravated range based on Homanko’s actions on Route 93 before the crash and his actions that resulted in the fatal crash.Rufe said, “There is no question this is a tragedy. I can’t bring Mr. Sauers’ wife back, the law can’t.”He added, “Law enforcement officers have to play by the same rules as everyone else.”Rufe continued, “There is some concern that police believe they can do what they want, but they can’t.”The sentenceHomanko was charged with felony homicide by vehicle, involuntary manslaughter, aggravated assault by vehicle and related counts stemming from a crash that occurred on May 12, 2014, along Route 209 between Nesquehoning and Jim Thorpe. On Sept. 20, before the start of a hearing on motions made in the case by both sides, he entered a guilty plea to homicide by vehicle and recklessly endangering another person plus two summary motor vehicle code violations with the other charges dropped in a plea bargain.The jail term was imposed on the homicide by vehicle charge and the probation term on the recklessly endangering count. Rufe imposed the statutory fines and costs of the two summary offenses. He also will lose his license for three years.The term is at the low end of state sentencing guidelines which called for a minimum prison term of between three and 12 months.He also ruled that Homanko be granted work release privileges after he serves one-half of his minimum sentence (45 days). Levy asked for house arrest for the remaining 45 days after the first 45 is served. Rufe said he would leave that up to the prison warden if house arrest would be granted.However, in Carbon County the adult probation office must approve any house arrest program. He must also pay court costs of about $1,000 and a $50 per month supervision fee while on parole and probation.On Thursday Warden Timothy Fritz said Homanko will be housed in the local prison for the time being. He said the situation will be monitored and if any issues develop within the facility with Homanko, then he would take action to have him transferred to another county prison.He begins the jail term on Saturday afternoon. Levy asked for a delay in the start of the sentence because his client has a job interview in Wilkes-Barre at 4 p.m. Rufe granted the request and said Homanko must report to the prison within one hour of the conclusion of the interview.Rufe was assigned the case after the county’s three judges recused themselves from the case because Homanko’s father is a district judge in the county and works with the court system.District Attorney Jean Engler also recused her office from the case for the same reason and because her office regularly deals with local police offices. She asked the Attorney General’s office to prosecute the case.A district judge from outside the area was brought in for the preliminary hearing as the three remaining county district justices also recused themselves.