DUI Driver Sentenced In Crash That Killed Bucks Co. Firefighter

DOYLESTOWN, PA — In a packed Bucks County courtroom on Monday, Colin John Wahlers, 26, was sentenced to three to six years in state prison for the drunken, high-speed crash that killed his passenger, former volunteer firefighter Joseph Kay, 35.

Wahlers, of Perkasie, entered an open plea of guilty to homicide by vehicle while DUI, fleeing and eluding police, and related charges for the June 2, 2024 crash in Hilltown Township.

Wahlers, who was driving an unregistered utility vehicle while fleeing from Hilltown Township police, sped onto Green Street, reaching speeds of over 65 miles per hour in a 40-mph zone before losing control and flipping the vehicle near Rickert Road, an investigation revealed.

Joseph Kay, a former volunteer firefighter with the Plumsteadville Fire Company, was ejected and killed instantly from blunt force trauma. Wahlers, who survived with minor injuries, was found to have a blood-alcohol content of 0.195 percent, more than twice the legal limit.

During the sentencing hearing, Assistant District Attorney Andrew Bukowski introduced jarring dashcam and body cam footage from the accident, capturing Officer Kevin Godfrey pursuing a fleeing Polaris Ranger side-by-side vehicle, which loses control and flips at Green Street and Rickert Road, partially ejecting both occupants.

After the crash, the video shows Officer Godfrey rendering medical aid to the dying victim. While the officer worked frantically, Wahlers remarked, “Hell of a way to end a Saturday night,” the video captured.

Before the sentence was passed, the courtroom heard impact statements read by Kay's family. Kay’s mother, three sisters, and his wife spoke of a profound, life-altering loss, asking the court for the maximum possible sentence.

“Joey was my pride, my joy, my purpose. Joey was what made my heart beat,” his mother told the court. “In an instant, his life was stolen, and it was stolen by a drunk driver.”

Assistant DA Bukowski read a letter from Kay’s father, who condemned Wahlers’ conduct as “a selfish, reckless, irreversible choice.”

Though Wahlers offered a statement apologizing to the victim's family and friends, the damage was irreversible.

In handing down the sentence, Judge Jeffrey L. Finley addressed the profound nature of the crime and its ripple effect through the community. “It is clear to me that the impact on the victim and family - his wife, his parents, his siblings, his friends, the community - is devastating,” Judge Finley said.

The sentence included a concurrent sentence of six years of probation and an order that Wahlers is ineligible for any early release programs, recognizing the devastating cost of his actions.