Juror in Texas who helped convict trucker Tommie for the fatal Colorado wreck says that his sentence of 110 days is “not right” as there are more than 4.5million signatures for a petition to clemency.
Rogel Aguilera Mederos 26, was driving along Interstate 70, Lakewood, Colorado. He crashed into two dozen vehicles, four of which were stuck in rush-hour traffic.
Fireball explosions caused the collision to incinerate cars and trucks. Four people died.
Last week, he was sentenced to 27 charges of criminal offenses. His harsh sentence caused outrage among many millions of people, including the juror who found his guilt.
‘I cried my eyes out,’ the juror, who remained anonymous, told FOX31 regarding the sentence given to Aguilera-Mederos.
A juror called it 100-fold over the correct sentence and stated that the trucker is responsible for the wreckage, but Judge A. Bruce Jones ought to have given the driver a more appropriate sentence.
Rogel Aguilera Mederos 26, was driving along Interstate 70, Lakewood, Colorado. He crashed into two dozen cars, four of which were stuck in rush-hour traffic.
Four people were killed when a fireball explosion caused by the impact of the vehicle exploded, incinerating cars and trucks. He was sentenced to 110 year imprisonment for 27 criminal charges.
Jones claimed that his hands were tied by the mandatory minimum laws.
“There’s just something wrong with this, so a judge can’t intervene in any way to say that the manner it is written isn’t right,” the juror said.
FOX31 was also informed by the juror that he felt for the victims’ families, but felt compelled not to support Aguilera Mederos’ sentence.
‘I don’t [think]He said that the governor should be allowed to sit down and give him pardon. But to speak out and tell him this would be an appropriate sentence.
More than 4.5 million Change.org petitioners are calling for the trucker’s sentence to be lessened.
“Rogel Lazaro aguilera-Mederos…” states a petition sent to Jared Polis (Colorado Governor) and Jefferson County court.
Only the governor can give clemency at state level. Polis recently commuted four sentences, and gave 18 pardons to individuals in December 2020. A pardon or sentence reduction is usually the result of clemency.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis said on Thursday he hasn’t received a clemency application from Aguilera-Mederos. He stated that despite not having received a clemency request from Aguilera-Mederos, ‘we review all applications and we are still reviewing them. But every one we do receive we make a determination.
The petition goes on to say that Aguilera-Mederos could have ‘done things differently to avoid the courts,’ but ultimately commended him for taking responsibility and apologizing to the victim’s families.
According to Change.org’s page, this petition has now been signed by the third largest number of people.
Polis claimed last Thursday that Aguilera Mederos has not sent him a request for clemency.
“We examine all clemency requests, and we have yet to receive one from an individual, but we review every application we receive and we make a decision,” he stated.
Aguilera Medero broke down during his December 13 sentencing.
He said, “I’m not a criminal.” I am not a murderer. I’m not a murderer. My charges make me think of a murderer. In my entire adult life, I’ve never considered hurting anyone.
Judge A. Bruce Jones has said his hands are tied due to mandatory minimum laws. Aguilera Mederos was sentenced to the lowest possible punishment for all 27 of his criminal charges.
A Change.org petition calling for Aguilera Mederos to be released from prison has reached 4.5million signatures. According to the page, this petition is now the third-most signed on the website.
Pictured: a screenshot of the petition for Aguilera-Mederos, who was sentenced to prison for 110 consecutive for causing a fireball crash that killed four people
According to Viral TikToks, these photos show angry Colorado drivers protesting the 110 year sentence for a driver who was involved in a fatal crash on an interstate. These photos may not be current.
Aguilera Mederos stated that the truck brakes had failed and he was unable to control the vehicle. But prosecutors said in court that Aguilera Mederos could’ve taken preventive steps, such as using an escape truck ramp, miles away from the accident site. Instead, he took a “bunch of terrible decisions”, they claimed.
On December 13, Aguilera-Mederos was sentenced to 110 consecutive years in prison by Jones, who sentenced him to the minimum in the range available to him on all 27 criminal counts, the Denver Channel reported.
A series of small protests were raised by truck drivers following the sentencing.
TikTok video shows that truck drivers refuse to go into the state to protest the harsh sentence.
The videos are gaining popularity in the last few days. However, Friday’s statement by the Colorado Motor Carriers Association stated that they weren’t aware of any serious boycott attempts.
ABC News’ Greg Fulton, the president of the association said that he had not seen any evidence of a boycott.
Fulton said that she doesn’t believe there is any boycott of shipping companies or missing other items.
Fulton said that, while he sympathizes with the driver, he does not believe the petition calls the crash a failure of mechanical design.
He said, “I believe in our eyes, inexperience with the driver in the mountains…I do not think that the company should’ve put them in such a situation.”
Aguilera Mederos (photo: file photo) cried during sentencing. He said that he was not a criminal. I’m not a killer. I’m not a murderer.
Four semi-trucks were also among the cars he collided with
The impact of the collision created a huge fireball that incinerated some vehicles and trucks.
Aguilera Mederos, a Houston-based trucking firm at the time of the crash, was employed by Aguilera Mederos. The 18-wheeler was loaded with lumber.
According to the prosecution, he was traveling eastbound on the interstate at 85 mph as he came down from the mountain ranges. They said he swerved at times, forcing others off the road before he crashed into two dozen vehicles causing a giant fireball, FOX 31 reports.
It created a scene that was’significantly, just amazing carnage’, Lakewood Police Spokesman Ty Countryman stated at a news conference. He also noted that there were some bodies still inside the wreckage hours after the crash. The massive fire spread and smoke was seen billowing from the sky, as cars were stopped at every turn.
Countryman declared, “This is going to be one the worst accidents that we’ve ever had here in Lakewood.”
Doyle Harrison, 61 of Hudson Colorado; William Bailey 67 of Arvadal; Miguel Angel Lamas Arrellano 24, of Denver; Staney Politano 69 of Arvada are among those who were killed in the accident.
Six more were also taken to the hospital.
In October, he was found guilty of 27 criminal charges, including assault, vehicular homicide and reckless driving in a fiery accident in April 2019. A county judge ordered that Aguilera Mederos be sentenced.
Stanley Politano of Arvada (Colorado), left and Miguel Angel Lamas Arrelano of Denver, right were among those who died in the fatal crash.
Doyle Harrison (left) was also killed in the inferno, as was Victim William Bailey (pictured right with his wife, Gage Evans)
Aguilera Mederos was sentenced for 110 years consecutively in prison
The defense lawyer claimed that Aguilera-Mederos did not know his truck’s brakes were not working properly and that it would be impossible for him to stop. Aguilera Mederos argued his actions were negligent and did not mean to harm anyone.
But in October, a jury found him guilty of 27 criminal charges, including:
- There are four counts of vehicular murder
- There are two counts of vehicular attack
- Six counts each of the following: First-degree assault and extreme indifference
- Ten charges of assault attempt in the first degree
- Unconstitutional reckless driving
- Four counts for careless driving leading to death
He was not also found guilty of 15 criminal attempted assaults of the first degree.
Aguilera Mederos begged the judge for leniency before he was sentenced, and he broke down as a result.
‘It’s hard. It was an awful accident. “I accept the responsibility but it was an accident.
A lot of lumber Aguilera-Mederos was moving was left scattered over I-70, as both traffic and pedestrians were stopped.
After the crash, smoke billowed across the skies.
He said, “I never imagined hurting anyone in all my life. Jesus Christ, the one who knows this, knows that. My heart is broken,” he added.
“I am not criminal and I am not murderer.”
Your Honor, “The accident” was an unfortunate event that wasn’t intended. As a man, I tried my best. In order to prevent harming others, I was willing to put myself in harms way.
He stated that he attempted to avoid traffic and that he didn’t flee afterward ‘because I respect laws.
He said, “I am sorry. Sorry for your loss.