Matthew Ruckdaschel, 26, who used to play high school hockey and served in the Army, shared with a judge how he made the worst mistake of his life last year. He drove his car after drinking too much, went the wrong direction on a Buffalo expressway, and tragically hit another vehicle, resulting in the deaths of two people.

Ruckdaschel’s truck was travelling at 78 mph when it collided head-on with an SUV. He was later determined to be under the influence of drugs and alcohol at the time of the crash. His blood alcohol content was .22, more than twice the legal limit. He also tested positive for the presence of marijuana.

Ruckdaschel pleaded guilty in April to aggravated vehicular homicide and was sentenced this week to serve 3 1/2 to 10 1/2 years in prison.

Ruckdaschel apologized to the court and the families of the victims killed in the crash he caused. He could have served between 8 and 25 years in years but the judge ordered a slight reduction in his sentence. He is also usually confined to a wheel chair, able to walk only short distance of 50 feet or less before needing to rest.

The victims in the crash, however, never recovered.