A Bucks County courtroom filled beyond capacity as 26-year-old Colin John Wahlers was sentenced to three to six years in state prison for the drunken, high-speed crash that killed his passenger, 35-year-old former volunteer firefighter Joseph Kay. Wahlers, of Perkasie, pleaded guilty to homicide by vehicle while DUI, fleeing and eluding police, and related charges.
Common Pleas Judge Jeffrey L. Finley delivered the sentence, which also includes six years of concurrent probation and renders Wahlers ineligible for early release programs. The judge emphasized the devastating impact of Wahlers’ actions on the victim’s family and community.
The fatal crash occurred on June 2, 2024, when Wahlers, heavily intoxicated, fled from a Hilltown Township police officer while driving an unregistered utility vehicle. Traveling more than 65 mph in a 40-mph zone on Green Street, he lost control of the Polaris Ranger near Rickert Road. The vehicle overturned, ejecting Kay, who died instantly from blunt force trauma. Wahlers suffered only minor injuries and was found to have a blood-alcohol content of 0.195%, more than twice the legal limit.
Assistant District Attorney Andrew Bukowski presented emotional dashcam and bodycam footage showing Officer Kevin Godfrey pursuing the fleeing vehicle and rendering lifesaving aid to Kay moments after the crash. While the officer fought to save the victim, Wahlers remarked, “Hell of a way to end a Saturday night.”
The courtroom was moved to tears as Kay’s mother, sisters, and wife delivered heart-wrenching victim impact statements, urging the judge to impose the maximum sentence. Bukowski also read a letter from Kay’s father, who described Wahlers’ choices as “selfish, reckless, [and] irreversible.”
Wahlers offered an apology, but Judge Finley noted the immeasurable loss caused by his actions. “The impact on the victim and family—his wife, his parents, his siblings, his friends, the community—is devastating,” the judge said.
Joseph Kay, a former volunteer firefighter with the Plumsteadville Fire Company, was remembered as beloved and dedicated. The Bucks County District Attorney’s Office extended its condolences to Kay’s family, friends, and colleagues.
The case was investigated by the Hilltown and Plumstead Township Police Departments, along with the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office Homicide by Vehicle Unit. ADA Andrew Bukowski prosecuted the case.
