EUGENE, Ore. -- After pleading guilty to charges he drove drunk and killed 4 people in an accident he can't remember, Matthew Ellmers asked the judge to allow him to turn around and face his victim's family and friends.

"Never in my life would I have dreamed I would cause this much pain and suffering," Ellmers told them. "I know you're saying I'm the one who should have died. If not, that's what I'm thinking. I would trade places with any one of all of them.

"I thought a lot for the past five months about what I would say when this time came," he said. "I just hope you can understand I made a mistake, I made the biggest mistake of my life."

Ellmers changed his plea to guilty on all counts Tuesday morning. There was no plea deal with prosecutors

Ellmers -- in the hospital or in custody since the Jan. 21 crash -- faced almost 46 years in prison if ordered by the judge to serve the full sentence on each count one after another.

Instead, Judge Jack Billings chose to make Ellmers serve some of the sentences at the same time, effectively sentencing Ellmers to 20 years in prison.

"I've seen lots of defendants make statments to people," Billings said. "I've never seen anybody ask to face those he's harmed. That's never happened."

"Do you take full responsibility? Yes"

Ellmers entered the courtroom Tuesday morning dressed in the drab garb of the Lane County Jail, shackled at both the wrists and ankles.

Judge Billings and his staff had to return from vacation to conduct the change of plea hearing. Ellmers had earlier pleaded not guilty to charges of manslaughter, assault and DUI.

The court met Tuesday to hear his request to change his plea.

"Are you guilty or not guilty?" Billings asked.

"Guilty," Ellmers said.

Then he began crying and continued to cry as the judge asked him to verify the facts in the case against him.

Did it happen Jan. 21, 2009?

Yes.

Do you take full responsibility that you were behind the wheel?

Yes.

Were you intoxicated?

Yes.

Then the judge asked Ellmers about each victim in the crash, one by one.

Do you believe your driving caused the death of Nima Gibba?

Yes.

Do you believe your driving caused the death of Jaziah Vermilyea?

Yes.

Do you believe your driving caused the death of Connie Vermilyea?

Yes.

Do you believe your driving caused the death of Heather Mulgrave?

Yes.

Do you believe your driving caused serious physical injury to Jakobi Mulgrave?

Yes.

Did you drive with extreme indifference to human life?

Yes.