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Slain Firefighter Was Passenger In Unregistered UTV That Crashed During Pursuit: Bucks DA

Details have been released in the crash that killed a volunteer Bucks County firefighter over the weekend.

Joy Kay died following his wife Rachel's 30th birthday.

Joy Kay died following his wife Rachel's 30th birthday.

Photo Credit: Joe Kay Facebook/Plumstead Volunteer Fire Company

Kay, 35, was the passenger in an unregistered Polaris side-by-side UTV that crashed in Hilltown early Sunday morning, June 2, the Bucks County Prosecutor's Office said.

According to investigators, a Hilltown police officer tried to stop the Polaris after it veered partially off the road around 1 a.m.

The DA's office said the vehicle "should not have been operating on the road" due to its lack of registration.

Police said the driver fled on Green Street from Mill Road but lost control trying to turn right onto Rickert Road. The Polaris flipped and both the driver and Kay were partially ejected, officials said. 

Kay died at the scene, while the driver "complained of pain" but refused medical treatment, according to authorities. 

On Wednesday, the county Coroner's Office determined Kay died from blunt force trauma. 

Prosecutors said the crash remains under investigation and extended condolences to Kay's family.

Hours before the crash, Joe, who loved ones say had been living in Perkasie, wished his wife of three years, Rachel, a happy 30th birthday on Facebook. A broken-hearted Rachel later mourned her "perfect" husband, saying his death was something she'd never recover from.

Kay graduated from Central Bucks East High School in 2007 and has been working as an electrician for the past 20 years alongside his father, according to his obituary on the Joseph A. Fluehr III Funeral Home website.

In 2012, he was awarded Firefighter of the Year as a volunteer Plumstead firefighter.

"Joe was a Mid-Atlantic Racing Sprint Series fan favorite as he took the wheel of his #12 Sprint Car on the racetrack," his obituary continues. "He was loved for his talent but even more for his sportsmanship and heart."    

A celebration of his life will be held on Saturday, June 8, at Coleman Hay Farms in Chalfont at noon, with speeches beginning at 3:30 p.m. Click here for Joe Kay's complete obituary with service details.

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