Driver charged with DUI, homicide by vehicle after crash kills 2 fire chiefs in Berks County

RICHMOND TWP., Pa. (WPVI) -- Two longtime members of the Walnuttown Fire Company were killed Saturday evening when a vehicle struck them head-on as they assisted in the search for a missing woman in Richmond Township, Berks County.

Authorities said Fire Chief Jeffory Buck and Assistant Chief Robert Shick Jr. were riding in a side-by-side utility vehicle on Kutztown Road when a Toyota Camry hit them.

Both men, who had been with the department since their teenage years, were taken to area hospitals and later pronounced dead.

The driver of the Camry, identified as 26-year-old Alexander Sepulveda-Rivera of New York, has been charged with homicide by vehicle and driving under the influence.

Police said he and a passenger fled the scene but were found nearby.

Lt. Ryan Tyson of the Walnuttown Fire Company said he was the first to arrive at the crash scene around 6 p.m.

"To be honest, panic," Tyson said of his initial reaction. "We're accustomed to going to calls where we most of the time don't know the occupants, the involved parties."

Tyson said he immediately recognized the severity of the crash. "I knew when I first arrived on location that it was pretty substantial," he said.

He added that he spoke to the two chiefs before they were taken from the scene.

"I said some words to them. I believe that they knew I was there," Tyson said.

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Tyson said the department is now focused on supporting its members.

"Not something that you're ever prepared for but my main focus is making sure that my members going forward are in a good space," he said. "We all take care of each other and the biggest thing is the legacy that those two chiefs are gonna leave behind."

The Walnuttown Fire Company will remain out of service until next Saturday, with neighboring agencies handling calls in the meantime.

Tyson said one positive note emerged from the tragedy: first responders continued searching for the missing woman, who was found safe Saturday night.