More than 3 million people have signed a petition to grant clemency to a truck driver who was sentenced to 110 years in prison following a crash that killed four on a Colorado interstate.
On Monday, Rogel Aguilera-Mederos, 26, was handed a lengthy sentence after he was convicted in October on vehicular homicide and 23 other charges, ABC 7 reports.
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 remaining 23 charges included six counts of assault in the first degree, extreme indifference; 10 counts of attempt to commit assault in the first degree, extreme indifference; two counts of vehicular assault, reckless; one count of reckless driving; and four counts of careless driving causing death.
Aguilera-Mederos was given a sentence of the minimum time available to him on all counts, to be served consecutively, which amounts to 110 years, Colorado Judicial Department spokesperson Rob McCallum said.
In the wake of his conviction and sentence hearing, a petition titled "Offer commutation as time served, or grant clemency to Rogel Lazaro Aguilera-Mederos, 23" has racked 3.6 million signatures on change.org at the time of writing.
The petition, set up by Heather Gilbee, reads: "Rogel Lazaro Aguilera-Mederos, 23 has nothing on his driving record, or on his criminal history. He had complied with every single request by the Jefferson County courts, and investigators on the case.
"He's passed all of the drug and alcohol tests that were given including a chemical test. This accident was not intentional, nor was it a criminal act on the driver's part. No one but the trucking company he is/was employed by should be held accountable for this accident.
"No, we are not trying to make it seem any less of a tragic accident that it is because yes, lives were lost. We are trying to hold the person who needs to be held responsible, responsible."
