It was an emotional day when a former Carbon County police officer was sentenced to a county prison term earlier this year for his role in a fatal crash as he traveled at a speed estimated at 113 mph.

On Oct. 12, Judge John Rufe of Bucks Countysentenced Steven Homanko, 27, of Beaver Meadows, to serve 3-23 months in the county prison, followed by two years of probation.Homanko 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.Carola Sauers, 69, died in the crash. Her husband, Michael Sauers, 65, of Lehighton, also sustained serious injuries.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.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.