Authorities say a car swerved into a utility vehicle as the firefighters searched for a missing woman in Richmond Township.
RICHMOND TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Two volunteer fire chiefs were killed Saturday evening when a car struck their utility vehicle head-on along Route 222 while they were helping search for a missing woman, authorities in Berks County said.
The deaths of Fire Chief Jeffory L. Buck, 60, and Assistant Fire Chief Robert R. Shick Jr., 56, shook a small fire company and drew a wider response from local police, coroners and neighboring departments. Investigators say the crash happened during an active emergency search, turning a community rescue effort into a line-of-duty tragedy. By Monday, a driver from New York was facing homicide and DUI-related charges, and officials were still piecing together the final minutes before the collision.
Authorities said Buck and Shick, both with Walnuttown Fire Company, were riding north on the shoulder of Kutztown Road, or Route 222, shortly before 6 p.m. Saturday in a side-by-side utility vehicle. According to investigators, a southbound Toyota Camry had been weaving through traffic before it left its lane and struck the UTV head-on. Emergency crews found the off-road vehicle overturned in the roadway and the car badly damaged after it hit a pole. The two firefighters were taken to area hospitals, where they later died of blunt force injuries. The Berks County coroner identified the men Sunday and scheduled autopsies for Monday as part of the continuing investigation.
Police said the driver and a passenger in the Camry got out after the wreck and ran from the scene. Officers later found and detained both on Krause Road. Charging documents identified the driver as Alexander Sepulveda-Rivera, 26, of the Bronx, New York. Investigators said witnesses reported the Camry swerving before impact, and police wrote that Sepulveda-Rivera later told them he had smoked marijuana earlier in the day and fell asleep at the wheel. Court records reported by local media say officers also found a crack pipe and suspected marijuana in the car. Authorities said he did not have a valid license and had an outstanding warrant at the time of the crash. The passenger’s status was not immediately clear in public reports Monday.
The crash happened during a search involving multiple fire companies, rescue crews and law enforcement agencies looking for a missing 60-year-old woman in the area. Walnuttown Fire and Rescue Lt. Ryan Tyson said the two chiefs had been doing the work they cared about when they were killed. Later reports said the woman who had been reported missing was found, though officials released few details about where or when she was located. For residents in northern Berks County, the loss landed hard because Buck and Shick were not distant public figures. They were local responders in a volunteer department, part of a service network that often depends on neighbors answering calls at all hours with limited resources and deep ties to the community.
By Monday, authorities had moved the case from crash response to criminal prosecution. Local reports said Sepulveda-Rivera was charged with multiple offenses, including homicide by vehicle while DUI, homicide by vehicle, involuntary manslaughter, DUI, driving without a license and failure to stop and render aid. Investigators were awaiting additional testing, including blood evidence, as they worked to determine the full role of drugs or alcohol. Coroners ruled the firefighters’ deaths accidental, a medical finding that does not prevent criminal charges against a driver. Funeral arrangements for Buck and Shick had not yet been publicly released Monday, and Walnuttown Fire and Rescue said it would share more information later.
At the firehouse, the deaths left coworkers grieving two leaders at once. Tyson told reporters that responders are never fully prepared for a loss like that, especially involving two chiefs in the same incident. The company wrote in a public message that its thoughts were with the Buck and Shick families and added, “Rest easy chiefs, we got it from here.” The language was simple and direct, reflecting the tone seen across many volunteer departments after a line-of-duty death. In the hours after the crash, images from the scene showed the wrecked UTV on its side and the sedan with heavy front-end damage, a stark picture of how quickly a roadside search turned fatal.
The case remained active Monday as prosecutors prepared for the next court steps and investigators continued reviewing witness accounts, physical evidence and test results. The next major milestone is the defendant’s court process and any additional release of charging details or funeral arrangements for the two firefighters.
Author note: Last updated April 6, 2026.