A Carbon County man admitted on Monday in the county court he was driving drunk when he crashed a vehicle into a tree along a dirt road, killing two of his passengers.

Richard Marek Matsick, 49, of Nesquehoning pleaded guilty before Judge Joseph J. Matika to one count each of homicide by vehicle while DUI and homicide by vehicle. The first count is a felony.Under a plea bargain with the district attorney's office, if Matika accepts the deal, Matsick will be sentenced to a state prison term of three to six years, followed by three years of probation. The homicide by vehicle-DUI count carries a mandatory minimum term of three to six years.Matsick was charged after the sport utility vehicle he was driving crashed into a tree along Fireline Road in Packer Township, a private, dirt road on the Broad Mountain near Nesquehoning. The crash occurred on Aug. 4, 2013, between 3 and 4:25 a.m.Killed in the crash were Rebecca Ann Pilla, 44, a front-seat passenger, and Richard L. Zabroski, 45, a rear-seat passenger, both of Nesquehoning. At the time of the crash Zabroski was a member of the Panther Valley School Board.Seriously injured in the crash were Matsick and another rear-seat passenger, Julie Marie Williams, 45, of Nesquehoning.Matsick was originally charged with 14 counts.State police at Hazleton investigated 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. on 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. Matsick told Matika he was going about 55 mph at the time.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 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 said his client has suffered with depression since the crash. He said he has been receiving counseling and is taking medication for his depression.Matsick, fighting back tears, told Matika he wanted to accept responsibility for what happened.Matika deferred sentencing and ordered the adult probation office to prepare a pre-sentence investigation report.Matika told Matsick, "The court is not a part of the plea agreement so I don't have to follow it."Matika said after he receives the PSI he will decide if he will go along with the plea bargain and the recommended sentence.Sentencing should occur in about 90 days.