Prosecutors say witnesses saw the car swerving on Route 222 before it struck the firefighters’ utility vehicle and the driver ran from the crash scene.
RICHMOND TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A 26-year-old man faces homicide and DUI charges after police said his car swerved onto the shoulder of Route 222 and hit a utility vehicle carrying two volunteer fire chiefs who were helping search for a missing woman Saturday evening.
The deaths of Chief Jeffory L. Buck, 60, and Assistant Chief Robert R. Shick Jr., 56, turned a missing-person call into a line-of-duty loss for the Walnuttown Fire Company and a criminal case now centered on the driver, Alexander Sepulveda-Rivera. Prosecutors say toxicology results and a full crash reconstruction are still pending, but charges already filed have pushed the case into court as the small Berks County community prepares for joint funeral services this weekend.
Authorities said the crash happened shortly before 6 p.m. April 4 near Kutztown Road, also marked as Route 222, and Krause Road in Richmond Township, about 45 miles northwest of Philadelphia. Buck and Shick were riding in a utility terrain vehicle, or UTV, while helping search for a missing 60-year-old woman. Berks County District Attorney John Adams said witnesses saw a southbound Toyota Camry weaving in traffic before it drifted onto the shoulder and struck the smaller vehicle head-on. The impact overturned the UTV and left the Camry badly damaged. Adams told reporters that investigators also found dashcam video from other vehicles in the area and that several witnesses described the same pattern of swerving. Police said the driver and a passenger got out and ran. Officers later detained Sepulveda-Rivera on nearby Krause Road after a 911 caller reported seeing a man walking there. Buck and Shick were taken to separate hospitals and died later that night from their injuries.
Charging documents and statements from prosecutors filled in more of what investigators believe happened before and after the collision. Adams said Sepulveda-Rivera told officers he fell asleep at the wheel and that the crash woke him up. Prosecutors also said he admitted smoking marijuana earlier that day and claimed a crack pipe found in the Camry belonged to him. Officers took him to a hospital for a legal blood draw after the crash. Adams said the defendant did not have a valid driver’s license and that investigators were still checking whether he had ever been licensed at all. Prosecutors also said the Camry was not registered to Sepulveda-Rivera, and investigators were still trying to determine whether he had permission to drive it. Authorities have released few details about the passenger beyond saying that person was found nearby after the crash. The toxicology report, the crash reconstruction and more witness review are still pending, leaving some central questions unresolved even as the case moves forward.
The loss landed hard because Buck and Shick were not short-term volunteers caught in a single tragic night. They were longtime figures in a small department that depended on them. Buck had belonged to the Walnuttown Fire Company for 43 years, served as deputy chief for 20 years and had been chief since 2017. His obituary says he also worked for East Penn Manufacturing for 35 years and donated blood every two weeks for the last 20 years. Shick had volunteered with the company since his early teens and had most recently served as assistant chief since 2024. He had worked for years as a truck driver, coached youth soccer for more than a decade and spent 10 years on a cleanup crew at Pocono Raceway. Family members and colleagues described the two men as best friends as well as fire officers. Adams said communities across Pennsylvania rely on volunteers to fight fires, respond to crashes and search for lost people, making the deaths feel larger than one wreck on one road.
The legal case moved quickly after the crash, even though some testing is not done. Local reporting on the court filings says Sepulveda-Rivera was charged with two counts of homicide by vehicle while DUI, two counts of homicide by vehicle, involuntary manslaughter, DUI, reckless driving, driving without a license and other offenses tied to the crash and fleeing the scene. He was arraigned Monday, and bail was set at $500,000. As of Thursday, he remained in custody after failing to post it. No trial date or preliminary hearing date had been publicly announced. Adams has said the pending toxicology results could sharpen parts of the prosecution and that investigators are still seeking any witnesses who have not yet spoken with police. The state response has also widened beyond the courtroom. Gov. Josh Shapiro ordered U.S. and commonwealth flags on state facilities to half-staff on April 6, and state officials later said the flags would remain lowered until the date of interment on April 11.
At the Walnuttown firehouse, the public grief has been visible in both words and small details. CBS Philadelphia reported that Buck’s turnout gear and helmet could be seen hanging in a stall marked with his name. Lt. Ryan Tyson said Buck and Shick were “two of the greatest mentors” the department had ever had and said the company planned to return to service after laying them to rest. Family members who spoke publicly this week described two households that had long been tied together. Shick’s wife, Jennifer, recalled years of friendship between the families, while Buck’s son, Robert, remembered a favorite photo of his father in turnout gear, basketball shorts and Crocs because it showed how comfortable he was being himself. Joint public viewings are set for 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, April 10, at Fleetwood High School Auditorium. The joint funeral is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday, April 11, followed by a celebration of life at Fleetwood Borough Park.
As of Thursday evening, Sepulveda-Rivera remained jailed, the lab and crash reports were still pending, and Richmond Township was preparing for a weekend of mourning. The next public milestones are Friday’s viewing and Saturday’s funeral, where first responders, relatives and neighbors are expected to gather for the two chiefs.
Author note: Last updated April 9, 2026.