Police say a swerving Toyota Camry struck a utility vehicle carrying two Walnuttown Fire Company leaders during a search for a missing woman in Berks County.
RICHMOND TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A driver accused of veering onto the shoulder of Route 222 and striking a utility vehicle carrying two Walnuttown fire chiefs during a search for a missing woman now faces homicide and DUI charges in Berks County.
The crash turned a volunteer search into a line of duty tragedy that shook a small Pennsylvania fire company and drew a statewide tribute. Investigators say the driver, Alexander Sepulveda-Rivera, left the scene after the collision, admitted he had smoked marijuana earlier in the day and did not have a valid license. Prosecutors say toxicology testing and a full crash review are still pending, but the charges already filed carry the possibility of a long prison term if he is convicted.
Authorities say the fatal chain of events unfolded shortly before 6 p.m. Saturday, April 4, along Kutztown Road, also marked as Route 222, near Krause Road in Richmond Township. Fire Chief Jeffory L. Buck, 60, and Assistant Chief Robert R. Shick Jr., 56, were riding in a utility terrain vehicle on the shoulder 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 off the roadway and struck the firefighters head-on. The impact overturned the smaller vehicle and left the Camry badly damaged against a pole. Police said the driver and a passenger got out and ran. Officers then received a report of a man walking nearby on Krause Road, and Sepulveda-Rivera was taken into custody after police found him there. Buck and Shick were rushed to separate hospitals but died from blunt force injuries later that night.
Charging documents and statements from local officials filled in more of the case over the next two days. Police said Sepulveda-Rivera told officers he fell asleep while driving and that the crash woke him up. Investigators also said he admitted smoking marijuana around 9 a.m. Saturday and claimed ownership of a crack pipe found in the Camry. Officers took him to a hospital for a legal blood draw before booking him into central processing. Police also said he was not properly licensed to drive and had an active warrant at the time of the crash. Adams told reporters Tuesday that prosecutors are still waiting for toxicology results and a full crash reconstruction report, and that investigators are still trying to determine whether Sepulveda-Rivera had permission to use the car because it was not registered to him. Officials have not publicly detailed the passenger’s status beyond saying that the person was found nearby after the collision.
The deaths landed hard in Fleetwood and the nearby Walnuttown community because both men had been fixtures in local emergency service for years. Buck had been a member of the Walnuttown Fire Company for 43 years, served as deputy chief for two decades and had been chief since 2017. His obituary says he also worked for East Penn Manufacturing for 35 years. Shick had volunteered with the company since his early teens and most recently had served as assistant chief since 2024. His obituary describes him as a truck driver, a longtime youth soccer coach and a regular presence in local fire service. Those details turned what might have been a brief crash story into a broader account of a volunteer department suddenly losing two of its most experienced leaders on the same evening. Adams said the deaths were a community-wide blow and called the case “a shocking loss” for the area.
The legal case moved quickly after the wreck. Police charged Sepulveda-Rivera with two counts each of homicide by vehicle while DUI, homicide by vehicle, and accidents involving death or personal injury, along with involuntary manslaughter, DUI, reckless driving, driving without a license and other traffic and crash reporting offenses. By Tuesday, Adams said, Sepulveda-Rivera remained in custody after he was unable to post $500,000 bail. The coroner ruled both deaths accidental, a medical classification that officials stressed does not block criminal charges. Prosecutors have said the evidence so far supports the filed counts, while toxicology testing may sharpen parts of the case later. The broader investigation is still open, and police have asked any remaining witnesses to come forward as they finish collecting video, statements and forensic results. No trial date had been publicly announced by Tuesday afternoon, but the case had already shifted from emergency response to formal criminal prosecution.
The public mourning has unfolded almost as quickly as the court process. Gov. Josh Shapiro ordered U.S. and commonwealth flags on state facilities lowered to half-staff on April 6 and said they would remain that way until the date of interment. At the fire company, colleagues described Buck and Shick as mentors whose example shaped younger volunteers. Lt. Ryan Tyson said they were “two of the greatest mentors” in the department and told reporters the company would return to service after laying them to rest. Funeral arrangements underscore how closely the two men were linked in life and death. Joint viewings are scheduled for Friday, April 10, from 5 to 9 p.m. at Fleetwood High School Auditorium, followed by a joint funeral service there at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 11. The room is expected to draw relatives, neighbors and first responders from across the region, all gathering because a routine search call ended with two empty lockers and a department trying to imagine what comes next.
As of Tuesday, Sepulveda-Rivera remained jailed and the investigation was still developing as prosecutors awaited toxicology and crash findings. The next public milestone for the community is Saturday’s funeral, while the criminal case will turn on what those pending reports add to the charges already filed.
Author note: Last updated April 8, 2026.