Schaumburg man gets 25 years for drunk-driving deaths

The Schaumburg man who killed two children when he slammed, drunk. into a family minivan two years ago was sentenced today to 25 years in prison.

Ralph Pollock, 48, pleaded guilty in June to 10 counts of aggravated DUI in the fiery car crash deaths of Nathan Hockerman, 5, and his 14-year-old sister Claire.

The Hockerman family - Claire, Nathan, brother Paul, 11, and parents Greg and Sherry, all of West Lafayette, Ind. - had just reclaimed their van from an O'Hare parking lot at around 5:20 p.m. when Pollock hit them July 31, 2005, at the intersection of Waveland and Mannheim roads in Franklin Park.

The impact triggered an explosive blaze that killed the oldest and youngest children as their parents, badly burned, tried in vain to save them. Paul Hockerman was pulled to safety by a stranger.

Pollock had faced up to 28 years for the crime.

Tuesday's sentencing hearing included emotional testimony from both sides, including statements from Greg and Sherry Hockerman and from Pollock, who looked the couple in the eye and apologized.

The Hockermans said they did not come seeking revenge.

"I felt the judge did his duty to make sure Ralph Pollock has a chance to reflect on what he's done and recover from his alcoholism," Greg Hockerman said.

Greg Hockerman also said the longer sentence should keep Pollock in prison long enough to prevent him from causing a similar drunk-driving tragedy in the future.