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Diep Dong pleaded guilty to motor vehicle homicide and willful reckless driving for the wreck that happened about 2 a.m. Sept. 18 just north of Roca Road on Southwest 100th Street near Crete.

Abraham Raymundo, a 28-year-old father of two children who live in Guatemala, died in the crash.

"I still feel guilty. ... I am always thinking of that person," Dong told Lancaster County District Judge Lori Maret through a Vietnamese translator.

Attorney Brad Sipp called it a tragedy, but acknowledged that Dong chose to break the law. He was leaving work at Farmland Foods and, preoccupied with his personal life, wanted to get home fast.

"That decision had tragic consequences," Sipp said, in arguing for probation or a county jail sentence instead of prison.

On the other side, Deputy Lancaster County Attorney Chris Turner asked for a sentence that recognized the collision was part of a series of driving offenses. Dong was going 18 mph over the speed limit and trying to pass while driving up a hill.

"Those actions led to this tragedy," Turner said, adding that now two children don't have a father.

Once Dong saw the lights of Raymundo's oncoming Toyota, he tried to swerve but couldn't avoid colliding head-on at 73 mph.

Rescue workers flew Raymundo to a Lincoln hospital, where he died.

Maret said while Dong had a minimal record, his prior offenses show a pattern of behavior that culminated in the loss of a man's life.

She listed stops for speeding, violating stop signs, making improper turns, and a DUI in 2013. Alcohol was not a factor in this accident.

Maret said putting Dong in prison was necessary to protect the public and sentenced him to three to five years.

Dong will have to serve a year and a half before he's eligible for parole. When he gets out, his driver's license will be revoked for a year.