A Nesquehoning man, expressing remorse for a crash that killed two of his friends, was sentenced Thursday to a mandatory 3 to 6 years in a state prison on a charge of homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence.

Richard Mark Matsick, 49, told Carbon County Judge Joseph J. Matika, "There's nothing I could say. I wish it was me in that accident that would not have survived."He added, "It was a stupid decision on my part. But here I stand in front of you. I've been truthful since day one."Matsick was arrested by state police at Hazleton following the crash on Aug. 4, 2013, at 4:25 a.m. along Fireline Road in Packer Township, a private dirt road on the Broad Mountain near Nesquehoning. The sport utility vehicle he was driving crashed into a tree.Rebecca Ann Pilla, 44, and Richard L. Zabrosky, 45, were killed in the crash. Pilla was a front-seat passenger and companion of Matsick, and Zabrosky, a Panther Valley school board member, was a rear-seat passenger. Both were from Nesquehoning.Matsick and rear-seat passenger Julie Marie Williams, 45, of Nesquehoning, were seriously injured in the crash.Troopers said the four were at the Nesquehoning VFW on the evening of Aug. 3 and then decided to go "off-roading," at 2 a.m. Aug. 4.Initially Pilla drove the vehicle but Matsick took over when they went onto the dirt road where the crash occurred.Troopers said Matsick was driving at a high rate of speed. At the plea hearing Matsick said he was going about 55 mph.The vehicle entered the dirt road in the area of the cogeneration plant in Nesquehoning and soon entered Packer Township. Matsick was given a blood test which indicated a 0.09 BAC.Assistant District Attorney Gary F. Dobias said at the plea hearing held earlier that the test results and other information was submitted to a laboratory for analysis and it was estimated that Matsick's blood alcohol content at the time of the crash was between 0.13 and 0.19 BAC.Defense attorney Brett J. Riegel told the court that his client made a poor decision that night to drink and drive. He said he lost "the love of his life (Pilla), friends and people important to him."Riegel added, "He's really a good man that made bad decisions with dire consequences."Dobias told the court that the circumstances of the accident "demonstrates what happens when you drink and drive."He said it not only hurts the people involved but their families. He said the family members of those involved have shown great strength during the ordeal. He also praised the investigation conducted by the state police in the case.ConsequencesNot all involved accepted Matsick's apology.Robert Pilla, ex-husband of Rebecca Ann Pilla, told the court because of the incident he is raising their daughter alone. He asked Matika to impose a long prison term.Williams, injured in the crash, said because of her injuries she is unable to continue to work in the nursing field, which she was doing at the time of the crash. She said, "It will never leave my mind."She also said Matsick was told several times before the crash to "slow down."Matika said the case is one that is difficult and troubling for a court. He told Matsick, "You were speeding under the influence of alcohol and you changed the lives of many people, including your own."Matika said a presentence investigation report prepared by the adult probation department showed Matsick has plenty of good in him. He said Matsick fully cooperated with police after the crash. But the judge added, "I must consider the impact that this had on the victims. This was a tragic accident caused by a person's lapse of judgment."Matika imposed a term of 12 to 24 months, which runs concurrent with the other count, on a charge of homicide by vehicle which Matsick also previously pleaded to. Before the start of the proceeding, Matsick entered a plea to one count of driving under the influence.The jail term will be followed by five years of state probation. Matsick must pay a fine of $1,000 on the DUI count, one year license suspension, pay court costs of about $1,000, supply a DNA sample and when released on parole render 200 hours of community service. He was given credit for 54 days spent in prison on the charges.A request by Riegel to have Matsick's prison term begin on Monday was denied by Matika after Dobias objected. Dobias said the family of the victims wanted closure and that would not begin until the defendant was in prison.Matsick was then taken into custody by sheriff deputies to begin his prison term.