ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — A man will spend 10 years in prison for a St. Louis County crash that left a Swansea firefighter dead.
Nicholas Washington plead guilty Tuesday to first-degree manslaughter and resisting arrest. As part of a plea agreement he was sentenced to 10 years on the first count and four years on the second count. They will be served at the same time, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office said.
The charges stem from a fatal crash on April 4, 2019 at Page Boulevard and Warson Road in St. Louis County.
Police tried to stop Washington that morning for several moving violations, but he sped away, according to court records. Officers stopped their pursuit when he reached speeds of 90 miles an hour.
Washington continued to speed away from police and drive erratically when he crashed into Brett Korves, who was turning left onto southbound North Warson Road. Korves died at the scene.
"Seeing a first responder lose his life in this senseless way is especially tragic," said St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell. "There is no way to make the victim's family whole again, but we pray this will provide some closure for the family."
Korves was a third-generation firefighter. He left behind a wife, a little boy and a daughter he never knew about. Shortly after his death, Korves’ wife found out she was pregnant. She gave birth to a little girl on Dec. 12, 2019 and named her Brett.
Korves’ family has vowed to keep his memory alive.
“Along with being a devoted husband and great father, Brett was also a volunteer firefighter for the Swansea Fire Department and active in stock car racing. Though he is missed everyday, we are determined to keep his legacy alive by starting a foundation in his honor, Brett’s First Responders,” loved ones shared in the months after his death.
