By Joe Gerrety

MAYWOOD, Ill. -- A Schaumburg, Ill., man accused of driving drunk and causing a crash that killed two children from West Lafayette nearly two years ago pleaded guilty Thursday.

Ralph Pollock, 48, pleaded guilty to eight counts of aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol in Cook County Circuit Court District 4. He could face six to 28 years in prison when he is sentenced Aug. 28.

"For us, it's just another hurdle we have to get through," said Sherry Hockerman, mother of Claire Hockerman, 14, and Nathan Hockerman, 5, who were killed in the crash.

"We can't really say too much about the time involved. For us, I don't think it'll end in five years or 28 years or whatever. It kind of goes on and on."

Her husband, Greg, required skin grafts after suffering burns in the crash but has regained full use of his hands. Sherry and her other son, Paul, 13, suffered less severe burns.

Police said Pollock, who had two prior convictions for drunken driving, was driving a full-size pickup truck July 31 near O'Hare International Airport when he ran a red light and struck the Hockermans' minivan, causing it to burst into flames.

The family was returning home from a vacation in Switzerland.

All three surviving Hockermans attended the hearing Thursday. They saw Pollock in person for the first time since the crash. "For us, it was basically gut-wrenching," Sherry Hockerman said by telephone. "It was a hard morning."