COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — A national movement continued to grow Monday, with millions of people calling for leniency for a trucker who was sentenced to 110 years in prison after he was convicted of killing four people in a crash on Interstate 70 in 2019.
A petition asking Gov. Jared Polis to grant clemency or commute the sentence handed down to Rogel Aguilera-Mederos had gained more than 4.4 million signatures as of Monday afternoon — nearing the organizers’ 4.5 million goal.
In addition, around a dozen people marched in front of the state Capitol on Monday morning in solidarity with Aguilera-Mederos. Another march is scheduled for Wednesday.
“We just want to help do anything we can. ... If we do not stand up for him, who will?” said Jessica Luna, who organized the march. “We did not have very many for today, but we are mighty! We will back at the Capitol Wednesday and hopefully have a larger group.”
Aguilera-Mederos, 26, received the 110-year sentence last week after he was convicted of 27 counts, including vehicular homicide, assault and attempted assault for the fatal crash on April 25, 2019.
During the crash, Aguilera-Mederos’ brakes failed while he was driving 85 mph in a section of I-70 in Lakewood where commercial vehicles are limited to 45 miles per hour because of the road’s steep grade. The crash tore into heavy traffic and erupted in a blaze involving 28 vehicles.
The crash killed 24-year-old Miguel Angel Lamas Arellano, 67-year-old William Bailey, 61-year-old Doyle Harrison and 69-year-old Stanley Politano.
Mandatory minimum sentencing laws that require the sentences to run consecutively, rather than at the same time, contributed to the lengthy penalty. During last week’s hearing, the judge said he would not have imposed the sentences consecutively if it were up to him.
In a statement regarding the calls for clemency, Polis’ office said: “We are aware of this issue, the Governor and his team review each clemency application individually and we welcome an application from Rogel Lazaro Aguilera-Mederos and will expedite consideration but have not received one yet at this time.”
Polis’ office did not respond to further requests for comment.
As calls for leniency continued to grow, more controversy broke out Monday after Deputy District Attorney Kayla Wildeman, who prosecuted the case, posted a photo on Facebook celebrating receiving a tractor-trailer brake shoe as a “memento” from the case.
In the post, which has since been deleted or made private, Wildeman said the brake shoe was a gift from her trial partner, Senior Deputy District Attorney Trevor Moritzky, writing “what a special gift from a special person.”
In a statement Monday, District Attorney Alexis King said the brake shoe was not a piece of evidence from the case.
“The post was in very poor taste and does not reflect the values of my administration,” the statement said. “We have addressed it internally.”
In the trial’s closing arguments in October, Wildeman said Aguilera-Mederos was speeding through mountain towns while riding his brakes and failed to use a runaway truck ramp several miles before the crash. However, defense attorney James Colgan blamed the failed brakes on improperly maintained parts.
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