In April 2019, Rogel Aguilera-Mederos was transporting lumber in the Rocky Mountain foothills. His truck plummeted downhill into traffic, caught fire, and it resulted in a pile-up.
Stanley Politano, 69, William Bailey, 67, Doyle Harrison, 61, and Miguel Angel Lamas Arellano, 24, all died.
The trucker told authorities his brakes malfunctioned. However, prosecutors said he was aware that he had brakes issues. They said that the driver was driving recklessly between vehicles, and he drove past a location created for vehicles with brake issues.
The 26-year-old was convicted on 27 counts, including vehicular homicide and vehicular assault. He was given a 110-year prison sentence by the judge who stated that it was a mandatory sentence, and he had to enforce it.
Now, nearly 4.5 million people have signed a petition on Change.org requesting clemency. These people say that the punishment was too harsh, noting that the trucker had no criminal history and neither alcohol nor drugs were involved.
Even Kim Kardashian has given her opinion on the matter on social media. “Mandatory sentences take away judicial discretion and need to end,” she wrote.
A sentence reconsideration hearing has been set for December 27.
