There was plenty of emotion to go around last week at the sentencing of a former Carbon County police officer.

And nobody came up on the plus side.Steven Homanko, 27, of Beaver Meadows, was sentenced to serve three to 23 months in county prison followed by two years of probation following a fatal crash.Homanko originally had been charged with felony homicide by vehicle, involuntary manslaughter, aggravated assault by vehicle and related counts stemming from a tragedy on May 12, 2014, along Route 209 between Nesquehoning and Jim Thorpe while Homanko was on duty.A state police investigation determined he was traveling at an estimated 113 mph.Homanko's decision to abandon good judgment and put the lives of innocent people at risk resulted in the death of Carola Sauers, 69, and major injuries to her husband Michael, 65.It's a case in which everybody came up a loser, starting with the officer himself.Homanko's dreams for a career in law enforcement morphed into a nightmare. In fact, he says he's receiving counseling and has a hard time sleeping.Family members who spoke at the sentencing said he feels remorse for what he did. They, too, undoubtedly carry an emotional burden knowing their loved one is responsible for an innocent woman's death.In a sense, local police, too, came up a loser in terms of public trust. While Homanko's actions are solely his own and do not represent any particular group, it's also a reality that those following this case wonder if any other loose cannons are out there wearing a badge and patrolling streets.Make no mistake, our towns have some of the finest cops anywhere. But could there be another Homanko? Is there an adequate screening and training regimen in place?Some also express frustration at what they see as a light sentence handed to Homanko, a perceived slap on the wrist."His actions that day were to preserve and protect, but his zealous conduct led to this tragedy," said his defense attorney.Some see Homanko's "zealous conduct" as something more aptly called dangerous, reckless conduct.Of course, heartbroken victim Michael Sauers is the one getting a life sentence. He'll likely continue to battle mental and physical issues for years into the future and has been robbed of the loving companionship of his soul mate.To say his life was dramatically changed would be an understatement. There are no words to describe what he's endured and how he feels.Finally, the ultimate loss in this tragedy is wife Carola. From all accounts she was a special woman.At age 69, she had many more vital, active years ahead.Her life was cut short only because somebody decided to be "zealous," to use the attorney's description.If there is any kind of take-away lesson here, maybe it's to reinforce the critical importance of good judgment.Potential renegade law enforcement officers must realize that high-speed car chases aren't benign. Those actions are extremely dangerous to all parties involved and even those not involved, such as other motorists and innocent bystanders.The crash that took the life of Carola Sauers never should have happened.A precious life was snuffed out for no reason and the judicial system was unable to make things better.That's what happened last Wednesday.A very sad case was decided in court and everybody lost.By Donald R. Serfass |

dserfass@tnonline.com