GREELEY, Colo. -- A man with a long record of drunken driving arrests was handed a lengthy prison sentence Friday for a crash that killed a brother and sister.

Isai Flores, 24, and Zuri Flores, 20, were going to work in Weld County on Feb. 24, 2005, when a car driven by Tobias Sholes crossed into oncoming traffic on Colorado Highway 52 near Fort Lupton and hit them head-on. Both were killed on impact, but Sholes survived.

The siblings were on their way to work at the family business at the time of the accident.

An investigation determined that Sholes, 30, of Fredrick, Colo., was driving without a license and was drunk at the time. He had four prior convictions for drunken driven at the time of the accident and had his license revoked in 1998.

He pleaded guilty to two counts of vehicular homicide. On Friday, Sholes was sentenced to 36 years in prison -- 18 years for each count.

In a Weld County courtroom, Sholes made a tearful apology to the family and to the court, saying that not a day goes by when he doesn't live with the guilt and shame of what he did and the lives he took.

"I am not here to make excuses for what I have done. I am simply here to say that I am truly sorry for what I have done and this will be with me until the day that I die," Sholes said. "It kills me to know that I was a part of something so horrific and sickening."

"I am sorry for the pain, anger and sadness that I have caused you," he said to the family.

The victim's family said they taught their children to forgive and that's why they have forgiven him, but his 36 years in prison won't bring back their beloved.

"It's something really hard because all the time that he will spend in jail is not going to bring the kids back," said the victims' mother, Olivia Flores.

"I wanted to go up there and punch him. I want to take out all the frustration. I want to take everything but I know I can't do that," said Edward Medrano, the victims' uncle. "We're glad it's over."

During the court hearing, the victims' friends played a video showing Isai and Zuri having fun dancing and singing while growing up. There were audible gasps and lots of tears when that video presentation ended with the pictures of the horrific way they died.

Sholes could have been sentenced to 48 years in prison, 10 years of parole and a $750,000 fine. The judge said while he was trying to have mercy on Sholes, saying that he's made many strides trying to turn his life around.

"That you helped people, obviously your family and friends ... it's with a real heavy heart that I have to impose sentence, but that's my job," the judge said.

However he said the sentence was also meant to send a message.

Now that the criminal trial is over, there may be a civil lawsuit.