Celebrity4 min(s) read
Published 11:15 31 Dec 2021 GMT
Kim Kardashian has thanked Colorado governor Jared Polis for reducing truck driver Rogel Aguilera-Mederos' lengthy 110-year prison sentence to 10 years.
Per CNN, the governor of Colorado commuted the sentence on Thursday, December 30, calling the lengthy penalty for a fatal roadway accident "unjust".
The trucker accidentally killed four people when his brakes failed on a Colorado interstate.
The 26-year-old was handed the initial lengthy sentence after he was convicted in October on vehicular homicide and 23 other charges.
Now, his new sentence has been welcomed with a sigh of relief by Kardashian, who thought the original penalty was far too long.
Earlier this month, Kardashian backed growing calls for Polis to commute Aguilera-Mederos's sentence.
She said she took a "deep dive" into Aguilera-Medero's case, which has garnered national and international attention, to "figure out what the situation is".
At the time, in posts addressed to her 271 million followers, Kardashian wrote: "He [Aguilera-Mederos} was not drunk or under the influence [at the time of the crash]. His brakes on the semi-tractor trailer failed."
After hearing the adjusted sentence, Kardashian rushed to social media to thank Polis for his work.
Sharing a copy of the official executive order, Kardashian thanked Polis for his "empathy and leadership" on this case, in a series of Instagram Story.
The 41-year-old reality TV star wrote on Instagram: "While his new sentence is 10 years, he will now have an opportunity to come home in five years and be with his son and wife. This case was a clear example of why mandatory minimums don’t work and need to be abolished."
In his letter to the truck driver, Polis wrote: "I am writing to inform you that I am granting your application for a commutation.
"After learning about the highly atypical and unjust sentence in your case, I am commuting your sentence to 10 years and granting you parole eligibility on December 30, 2026."
Aguilera-Mederos celebrated the announcement and thanked his supporters on Thursday, December 30.
"This commutation is far more reflective of the crime than 110 years," his attorney James Colgan said. "Mr Mederos will be forever grateful for the millions of people that supported him."
The incident took place in April 2019 and resulted in tragedy when Aguilera-Mederos' brakes failed while he was driving a semi-tractor-trailer at 85 mph, he told police at the time.
As per an arrest affidavit, the 26-year-old had attempted to pull over to the shoulder in order to avoid coming into contact with other vehicles, however, another large truck had already stopped there.
The truck slammed into dozens of vehicles and caused a 28-vehicle crash. A gas tank ignited, sparking a fiery explosion that left four men dead.
No drugs or alcohol were involved in the incident, Lakewood Police Department has said.
The victims were Doyle Harrison, 61, William Bailey, 67, Miguel Angel Lamas Arrellano, 24, and Stanley Politano, 69.
