3.4 million sign petition for lenience after truck driver gets 110-year sentence

I say let him go.

He's cute!

Do the crime, do the time.

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

[quote] In April 2019, the truck Aguilera-Mederos was driving lost its brakes

So why is it his fault if the car lost its brakes? And why does he get more time than murderers?

He has pretty eyes.

Love the scruff, too.

110 years for brake failure.......and rittenhouse walks

R4 He drove past one of those "lost brakes" strip they have on the highways coming down out of the mountains....The prosecution pushed on the fact that had he drove into that no one would of burned to death

What’s a lost brake strip?

Did he deliberately not stop at the runaway?

The American INJUSTICE system strikes again!

110 FUCKING YEARS!!!!!

Are you kidding me?

R3 It’s crazy.

I mean this is a manslaughter situation to me.

But it is nuts how women lust after murderers. The biggest serial killers and shit get thousands of women sending them nudes and panties and shit.

I’ve seen gay men do it here with Chris Watts and more recently Brian Laundrie but then I ask myself are those posts from gay men or women lol.

R11 It's the femcels that obsess over murderers, and he's latino and he murdered white people, lol he'll be lucky if he has 10 years shaved off.

meh. he has acne..

And he's cross-eyed...

[quote] And he's cross-eyed...

How can you tell?

He's not the only trucker in trouble. This one will likely be deported from Canada.

This idea of criminalizing what are essentially mistakes has become too frequent. Doctors make mistakes all the time. How many do you see on trial for murder or manslaughter?

This goes for cops as well. Humans make mistakes. Too many prosecutors want to redefine reckless and attach it to every omission or action that may lead to death or injury. They are even trying to redefine "proximate cause".

This is what civil law suits are for.

No worse than than Jussie being convicted.

If the truck lost its brakes the people responsible for its maintenance are the ones who should be charged. The only two exceptions I can think of is if the driver was impaired by drugs or if when the truck was examined the brakes were in working order.

I googled this case and kept expecting to read that he had been drunk/high or something really bad and I couldn't find anything. It really was an accident

Trump left 500K dead. Give him a life sentence in solitary with no parole. Lock him up and throw away the key.

R19, it's usually the truck drivers fault if brakes fail, not always, but very often. Improper brake applications can cause failure, so can poorly distributed loads. Drivers are also responsible for ensuring that maintainince is completed, kept up to date, and logged too. Lots of drivers do not keep proper log books. The guy in Canada who killed those hockey players did not and should not have been driving at the time he killed those 16 people.

Anyway, the problem here is he avoided the ramp and crashed into parked vehicles instead. If he lied about his hours and missed the ramp, then yeah, he'll spend time in jail as that is a serious traffic violation.

[quote] If the truck lost its brakes the people responsible for its maintenance are the ones who should be charged.

I'm not positive, but usually when they those run away ramps, it's in the mountains. When you are driving in the mountains around the curves and you are constantly using your brakes, they "heat up" and stop working.

It actually happened to me once. It's scary. You're brakes don't work at all. I let the car sit for about 30 minutes and the brakes worked fine again.

Justice by popular acclamation rather than rule of law. Why not? What could possibly go wrong?

Shut the fuck up, R24.

Judgmental cunt.

The people recognize that his sentence was excessively harsh and unfair, given the crime.

3.4 million signatures on a petition is nothing to sneeze at.

The judge said he didn't want to give him this long of a sentence but his hands were tied because these charges have mandatory sentencing guidelines

He was driving a semi tractor-trailer and and speeding at 85 MPH! In my neck of the woods, they can go as fast as 50 MPH. Check his mobile phone, he was probably talking to some pussies at the time too.

Just go to prison, reckless shit-ass, and do community service there!

[quote]He was driving a semi tractor-trailer and and speeding at 85 MPH! In my neck of the woods, they can go as fast as 50 MPH.

Ma'am, he didn't have any brakes and his tractor-trailer accelerated, that's how he got up to 85 MPH.

[quote]It really was an accident

I don't think there's a person involved that didn't ultimately think it's was an accident because he made "stupid" decisions which probably occurred because he panicked.

It's one thing to argue that he should be punished for not thinking quickly enough while driving that large vehicle but it much harder to argue that it shouldn't be recognized that none of it was intentional and it was the result of a mechanical failure and a driver who didn't react correctly to it in the moment.

R11 I mean...really? Gay men acknowledging that a man is hot is pretty typical. Nobody's saying that they shouldn't be held accountable for the crimes they committed. Chill

What crime? It was an accident.

R28 Driver/pilot errors are still considered a crime like in this instance. He noticed brake failure and still decided to continue putting others in danger..

Here's the escape ramp he is accused of ignoring. You can see a toppled truck that used it.

Auntie R28, if you have driven a car and know some basic maintenance stuff, then you should know when your brakes are failing unless your earsplitting music is roaring all the time.

[quote]Driver/pilot errors are still considered a crime like in this instance. He noticed brake failure and still decided to continue putting others in danger..

You're wrong R31.

What he did was wrong. It doesn't matter that it was an accident. Accidents of this nature are considered crimes.

It doesn't matter that his brakes failed, he still put other people in danger and cost them their lives because he didn't pull off the road.

You're full of shit. Why are you Americans so hateful towards eachother? In Europe this driver would do a few years and lose his truck driving license for good. Plus he would receive mental care for the guilt he carries

Land of the free, home of the 110 year prison sentence.

[quote]It doesn't matter that his brakes failed, he still put other people in danger and cost them their lives because he didn't pull off the road.

The fact that the brakes failed is probably THE most important fact in this whole scenario. It's stupid to say it "doesn't matter."

The trucker said he wasn't aware the brakes were out and smoking, which is why he didn't use the runaway off-ramp. Sounds like the jury didn't believe him.

R33, and you are going to comment about brakes, you should probably something about them before you open your big mouth and insert your foot.

When you are driving in the mountains, lots of hills or just having to use your brakes constantly, the brakes can overheat . When happens, THEY SUDDENLY DON'T WORK.

No matter, 110 years is excessive.

American "justice" in general is excessive.

Can someone explain how that ramp at r32 works? It looks like it goes straight up. A speeding truck runs right up it and then, because no brakes, starts to slide back down?

More like it's driven into the earth. The ramps are soft.

R3/R11/R12 it's called hybristophilia (aka Bonnie & Clyde syndrome) which is sexual attraction toward those who have committed heinous crimes, particularly rape and/or murder. It affects mainly women.

Gay men are also hybristophiles, hence this thread.

Gay men are very much attracted to violence.

R41: They have very deep and loose gravel pits that both slow the truck and then keep it there once it's stopped.

Thank you for the explanation r42 and r46. (hmmm, a couple blocked posts in between)

There is no way this guy would be facing a 110 year sentence if he wasn't brown or black. Just saying.

Uh^. Yes, he absolutely would. There would be no petition or thread on the matter, however. Just sayin’.

I signed that petition, the sentence is absurd. R49 I sign petitions for white people too. You are ignorant. Just sayin'.

there should be secondary highways for big trucks

You signed the petition because you’re a hybristophile. Just sayin’.

"there should be secondary highways for big trucks "

A lot of cities created bypasses for people and trucks passing through, Atlanta being one of them, unfortunately cars still share the by-passes with the truckers so it doesn't really help

And yet hardly anyone went to prison for driving our economy off the edge, leading to thousands of deaths from despair.

That sentence is a bit of overkill. He did not do it intentionally.

It's odd he got up to 85 though. Most trucks now have regulators that will not allow them to go over 65. Maybe the regulats conk out too?

You are an asshole, R12. The youngest to die, at 27, was clearly Latino, do you know the race of the older three men? Do you know the ethnicities or races of the jurors or others involved in the case? No, you do not, fat head. But everything has to be about race because you are too stupid to see anything else.

Obviously the victim's families are not on the best mindset to decide what's "fair" because there's going to be a lot of anger from losing a loved one, but those on the outside can see why that's an absurd sentence. The driver is so young too.

If all he did was miss the ramp (no drinking, drugs, being unsafe in other ways), it definitely falls under cruel and unusual punishment. It's frustrating when murderers and rapists go free, but this mistake cost him the rest of his life. This is something to consider for anyone thinking about truck driving (CDL), especially with attractive salary offers due to shortages. It comes with a lot of responsibility.

[quote]You can see a toppled truck that used it.

Um, try jack-knifed.

He's getting a lot of support from truckers as well...

R7 "would of" - really??

"had he drove into that no one would of burned to death"

Oh, dear x 2!

Meanwhile, Republicans are “competing” over who gets to hire murderer Kyle Rittenhouse as an intern.

Through an interpreter, he explained that he did the best he could to avoid an accident, but he made some bad decisions due to lack of experience. He also admitted to not checking the safety precautions, despite knowing how to do so.

He had also overstated his previous experience upon applying for as a truck driver, because he wanted to get a "a better job opportunity."

Still, I don't think he deserves 110 years in prison. His team plans to appeal the decision.

Not sure how he got up to 85 MPH or whatever. Could be just a buildup of speed after he realized his brakes had failed.

I used to commute over a mountainous area and did see those emergency ramps for trucks (loose gravel). I always thought I could use it, myself (driving a small car), if necessary.

Who knows why he did not use the emergency ramp.

No alcohol, no drugs. I do feel like the sentence was excessive, but it looks like it was mandatory, according to the judge.

He was extremely careless and killed four people. Injuring others. Manslaughter is anything. 25 years.

*if

Careless and negligent. If he gets off because of woke assholes…

^ If he has to spend the rest of his life in jail it will be because of ordinary assholes like you

[quote] You're brakes don't work at all.

Oh, dear!

[quote] you should probably something about them

[quote]When happens, THEY SUDDENLY DON'T WORK.

WTF? Speaking of putting your foot in your mouth.

R69 is what’s wrong with this country. He KILLED FOUR PEOPLE. Injured countless. He did what he what he did out of mere negligence. Democrats need to lose big next year.

[quote] it's usually the truck drivers fault . . . Improper brake applications can cause failure, so can poorly distributed loads. Drivers are also responsible for ensuring that maintainince is completed, kept up to date, and logged too.

These are MISTAKES. They should not be criminalized. Not call for jail time. That's what civil suits are for.

We have become such a punitive society - except for actual deliberate crimes like rape, assaults, robberies, burglaries, arsons, murders. We want to forgive those crimes and be understanding of the offenders but not some poor slob who made a mistake in judgment while his truck was becoming out of control.

Political trails - the ambitious prosecutor's favorite play.

[quote] Careless and negligent.

Careless and negligent are not RECKLESS. Stop misinterpreting the law. And putting a "very" before the words does not make it reckless.

R72 is what's wrong with this country. He's is being punished more harshly for his "mere negligence" than many who have killed and injured more intentionally, recklessly, and from shocking indifference.

There are warnings all over that stretch of road, which is the busiest mountain road in the Denver area, urging caution on a long and windy downhill. He was negligent and endangered the community at large.

R76, read my lips. Negligent is not reckless.

The signs? WTF there are signs all over and that does not determine whether you are negligent or reckless.

It really sucks to be killed today because your death was in vain. Your life was pointless. You shoot people, you can run them over. Assholes defend you. Pathetic. Where’s an asteroid already.

"[R69] is what’s wrong with this country. He KILLED FOUR PEOPLE. Injured countless. He did what he what he did out of mere negligence. Democrats need to lose big next year."

He should have tried to overthrow the government he would be a free man today

R78, LOL! You have never opened a history book have you? Life is much more valued today than at any time in history. But life includes death and there are as many reasons for death as there are daisies in your fantasy world. Most death is not malicious.

Democrats need to lose big time. Senate, House, governorships up for re-election, gone.

[quote] These are MISTAKES. They should not be criminalized. Not call for jail time. That's what civil suits are for.

Were these also “mistakes”?

“He also admitted to not checking the safety precautions, despite knowing how to do so.

He had also overstated his previous experience upon applying for as a truck driver, because he wanted to get a "a better job opportunity."

If your lies, failure to check safety equipment and not knowing what to do in an emergency results in the deaths of four people, yes, it’s criminal. You cannot avoid punishment for killing people by proclaiming, “Honest to goodness, Judge, it was a mistake. Scout’s honor!”

[quote]If your lies, failure to check safety equipment and not knowing what to do in an emergency results in the deaths of four people, yes, it’s criminal.

What is wrong with people not understanding this?

If only those dead drivers were unarmed BLM protesters he'd be a hero

If this guy gets off, I hope the families of those killed and injured sue the trucking company, the perp, and the state into oblivion.

They’ll do that anyway, regardless of whether he’s in jail or not.

Good.

Which safety precautions? Details are important. Do you, e.g., check the tread on your tires every time you get in your car? Do you check your lights every time you get in your car during daylight hours? Do you ensure that your oil is not at a dangerous level that could seize your engine before you get in each time?

Exaggerating on your resume? Is a crime?

Seriously? You people are nuts.

These are not reckless acts, they may be negligent at most.

Are you deliberately being obtuse? ^

[quote]“He also admitted to not checking the safety precautions, despite knowing how to do so.

Uh, R88, those are reckless acts for a professional truck driver, which is why he was charged with recklessness causing death.

[quote]Which safety precautions? Details are important. Do you, e.g., check the tread on your tires every time you get in your car? Do you check your lights every time you get in your car during daylight hours? Do you ensure that your oil is not at a dangerous level that could seize your engine before you get in each time?

HE IS A TRUCK DRIVER.

Interesting how none of the "but lives were lost!" people seem to be bothered that the company, with a history of violations, hasn't faced any criminal charges.

[quote]Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration records show there were 19 vehicle inspections over the past two years and that 30 violations were found by inspectors. Over that time period, drivers have been hit three times for having chafing or kinking on their brake tubes and also for having their brakes out of adjustment, respectively. Drivers for the company were also found to have three violations for having an automatic airbrake adjustment system that failed to compensate for wear, and one was found to have inadequate brake tubing or hoses, among other violations.

I FF’d R88.

Sorry, forgot the link:

[quote]If your lies, failure to check safety equipment and not knowing what to do in an emergency results in the deaths of four people, yes, it’s criminal.

I don't think people are debating the criminality of it. Does the crime warrant life in prison? That is the question. 30 years for this young man may as well be considered life because he will be well over the hill by the time he gets out.

Moreover, it's also hugely expensive to keep people in prison until they die naturally. Throwing people in jail forever costs taxpayers a ton of money, so that group should be limited to those who will be a threat to peaceful society. Pushing the sentence to a century for this is just over doing it. Unfortunately, people get accidently killed in car accidents in huge numbers everyday, they all don't make headline news. Locking up people for 100+ years isn't going to change that a damn bit.

[quote]Interesting how none of the "but lives were lost!" people

You are morbid. You have a screw loose. I’m out of this infuriating thread.

[quote] Do you, e.g., check the tread on your tires every time you get in your car? Do you check your lights every time you get in your car during daylight hours? Do you ensure that your oil is not at a dangerous level that could seize your engine before you get in each time?

The next time you fly, ask your pilot the same questions. If he says “no,” get the fuck off that plane. When you’re operating a rig, yes, you’re supposed to check all those things (and a whole bunch more) before every trip, and log it.

[quote]Exaggerating on your resume? Is a crime?

He didn’t “exaggerate,” he outright lied. And if on your résumé you claim a skill you don’t have and when that skill is needed your lack of it results in the deaths of four people, yup, that’s a crime.

Stick around, r96, we need you to balance some normalcy in here.

Oh, there's more to this story. He initially refused a plea and one of the witnesses says he tried to take off from the scene?

He deserves jail time, but not 110 years.

R8 in a mountainous highway they’ll carve ramps up the side of a mountain. If a truck looses its breaks while on the descent, the driver can steer into the ramp which will slow and stop the truck. I’m

"He deserves jail time, but not 110 years. "

And there it is right there, nobody wants this guy to get away Scott free, but 110 years?

[quote]If a truck looses its breaks

Dems da brakes!

Exactly. Time served, or whatever.

Runaway truck tramps.

[quote] to get away Scott free,

We don’t even want him to get away Errol free!

He absolutely deserves jail time. But 110 years is not just cruel but a mockery compared to so many other outcomes.

R96, good because you're an obvious troll.

[quote]Does the crime warrant life in prison?

Yes, the threat of punishment will deter people from committing this type of crime. Worth it. Just keep him in jail to show others that there's consequences to your criminal negligence and recklessness.

[quote]Yes, the threat of punishment will deter people from committing this type of crime.

No, it absolutely does not. Even the government offices in charge of punishing people for crime acknowledge this.

(Go on, say something stupid like accusing the DOJ of being "woke." I can't wait.)

Yeah he should receive a punishment but 110 years? Essentially the rest of his life? That's ridiculous.

r108, 25-30 years behind bars is sufficient to make this point. 30 years is also an incredibly long time to be locked up. I've known people who did 1-2 years for drug offenses, even after this short period they are mentally distressed.

I've posted about the driver of the Humboldt crash that killed 16 people. In that case, the driver was 100% reckless. It is HIS fault all those people died, He ended up with eight years in prison, which I agree with.

Like this driver, he was inexperienced and had no business driving a truck in unfamiliar territory with an extremely heavy load. That is the both the driver's responsibility and the company's. The Humboldt driver also lied about his log books and if he had filled out his books correctly, he would not have been on the road that day at all. He also made no attempt to brake at a stop sign, despite several signs warning that an intersection was coming up.

As a result, the trucking industry in Canada has come under fire and they are forcing companies to provide more training for new drivers.

I'm glad the Humboldt driver got eight years, I think it's warranted. I do not agree with deporting him though. There is no way he will ever get behind the wheel of another rig - and if he tried, then yes, send his ass back to India. The trucker in this incident should also have a lifetime driving ban. He was reckless - truck drivers are held to a different standard than the average motorist. It is their job to drive and to obey state/provincial trucking regulations and traffic laws.

The driver in this story, as I said upthread, doesn't deserve 110 years, but he does need to spend time behind bars. He does sound like a douche though, refusing a plea and thinking he'd get away with a simple citation. At least the Humboldt guy didn't try and take off from the scene, pled guilty and didn't fight the charges against him to spare the survivors and families of the 16 people he killed. Even though he killed way more people, he's less of an asshole.

'I don't want a trial:' Truck driver in Humboldt Broncos crash pleads guilty

I wonder what kind of plea offer this guy got before he went to trial. If it was a reasonable offer and he rejected it, he must be pissed that he rejected it.

The Colorado trucker is hot, and the Canadian trucker would do in a pinch. How many more sexy truckers are there? Would cruising the truck stops be a good idea over Grindr? I'd do it for free, so no one could accuse me of being a lot lizard.

5-10 years seems appropriate. The 8 year sentence mentioned for the Canadian driver seems realistic.

We don't know the plea offer but I'll bet it wasn't realistic offer. We'll see what the appeals process ends up doing.

Eight years plus he's been ordered to be deported, R116, which he is fighting now.

He’s hawt. He was framed.

Damn what kind of get-up is this he has on in court? lol What was his pretty ass doing driving trucks anyway. He looks like a gay prostitute. Could've made a fortune on Onlyfans, or playing a truck driver in gay porn. So unfortunate that he will now be getting fucked for free in prison.

Anyone who thinks that a 110 year sentence for this crime is appropriate, is obviously a right-wing troll.

Kyle Rittenhouse killed nearly as many people, and he got off with NO jail time.

I'm sure you were cheering that, though. Weren't you? Disgusting Deplorable MAGATS.

Lol R119. I saw that outfit and thought the same thing.

Between his lip piercing and those fiercely plucked eyebrows, he might do very well in prison.

He's only 24, so he's definitely "fresh meat."

His court attire is definitely interesting.

Even the Denver Post Editorial Board is petitioning Colorado Gov. Jared Polis to commute part of his sentence:

[quote] Editorial: Jared Polis, commute part of the 110-year sentence for Aguilera-Mederos

So unjust is the 110-year prison sentence for Rogel Lazaro Aguilera-Mederos that we are asking Gov. Jared Polis to begin the process immediately for a clemency review that could reduce his time in jail to something more reasonable.

We are not intending to undermine the verdict from the jury — Aguilera-Mederos did indeed kill four people and seriously injure others in a tragic and preventable crash.

But we do think there is an important distinction that the law, as written, did not allow jurors or the judge to make. The 26-year-old was not drunk. He was not intentionally driving recklessly because he was in a hurry or out for a thrill or running from police. He was not even full of road rage as his semi-truck accelerated down Interstate 70 out of control.

Rather, a tool that Aguilera-Mederos used for work failed. Whether it was from a lack of training or a lack of common sense, Aguilera-Mederos got back in his truck with the brakes smoking and hot from being used excessively to slow the heavy logging truck on the steep grades west of Denver. The brakes then failed completely and Aguilera-Mederos didn’t use the emergency ramp that could have safely stopped his truck.

Had traffic not been stopped at the bottom of the hill, Aguilera-Mederos might have avoided tragedy, but instead, he careened into the cars stopped in I-70 traffic and killed Miguel Angel Lamas Arellano, 24; William Bailey, 67; Doyle Harrison, 61; and Stanley Politano, 69.

America’s justice system has always struggled with how to treat negligent homicide cases.

Excessive punishment feels cruel, but so does a complete lack of consequences. If the goal is to deter others and foster rehabilitation, how many years in prison would suffice? If those responsible for unintentional deaths are guilty of such egregious transgressions of normal care and decency as to warrant prison time, what is an appropriate sentence?

So much depends on the facts of the case. And when we look at the mistakes Aguilera-Mederos made on April 25, 2019, we judge that life in prison is far too severe.

District Court Judge Bruce Jones agrees.

“I will state that if I had the discretion, it would not be my sentence,” Jones said. “I would say that perhaps the legislature, in imposing a requirement of consecutive sentences, had in mind that there might be cases where a judge should give it further consideration after hearing from the Department of Corrections, and this may very well be one of those cases.”

The reason Jones did not have discretion is that lawmakers have set mandatory minimum sentences for certain crimes, and then required that the sentences be served consecutively and not concurrently. Because four people were killed and so many were injured, the years added up to more than life in prison. This case shows clearly that Colorado’s sentencing laws are in need of much more reform than the changes that have come in recent years.

Polis could of course wait to see if Jones is able to later revise the sentence if Aguilera-Mederos seeks a review, however, with public attention on the case right now, we think the governor’s executive clemency advisory board should take up Aguilera-Mederos case and commute part of his sentence. Such an act could also spare the surviving victims in this case and the families of those killed a lengthy appeals process, although many heartbroken survivors have understandably said that they support a prison sentence in the case.

To guide him, Polis and his review board should look at similar cases across the state over the years.

Former Boulder Mayor Bob Greenlee was charged with nine counts including felony vehicular homicide, negligent homicide and vehicular assault after he killed a woman in a crash on U.S. 160 over La Veta Pass in 2016.

Prosecutors at the time said that Greenlee was speeding and driving aggressively in his Escalade before he attempted to pass a car and caused a collision.

Greenlee accepted a plea deal to criminally negligent homicide and three other counts. He didn’t serve a single day in prison, although he was sentenced to a year of home detention, 10 years of probation, ordered to perform 200 hours of community service and fined $100,000 in addition to being ordered to donate $1 million to a charity of the prosecutor’s choosing.

Greenlee’s age – he was 77 at the time of the sentencing — and his deteriorating health played into the judge’s decision: “Despite the fact that I consider probation to be the appropriate sentence here, I cannot disregard or speak lightly of the conduct of the defendant,” he said. “This is an egregious act, an act of inexplicable conduct by the defendant. It was inexcusable behavior.”

Would prosecutors have been more willing to offer Aguilera-Mederos a deal of one year in prison for each life he took if he was a man of financial means and could have donated $100,000 a year to charity?

First Judicial District Attorney Alexis King said in a public statement: “My administration contemplated a significantly different outcome in this case, but Mr. Aguilera-Mederos wasn’t interested in pursuing those negotiations. The jury’s thoughtful verdict reflects the strength of the evidence presented and recognizes the harm caused to the victims. We requested the minimum sentence allowed by law and welcome future opportunities for the court to reconsider its sentence, consistent with the mission and values of this office.”

However, neither the district attorney nor Aguilera-Mederos’ defense attorney answered questions from this board about specific deals that may have been offered or rejected.

We are losing faith in America’s justice system, and clemency is one way to ensure the scales of justice remain balanced.

********************

Read the comments at the bottom of the linked Denver Post article.

It's a very interesting discussion.

Reposting this excellent photo from R119. I'm guessing that douchebag on the left with fingers in tent / steeple position is the attorney. Looks like a DLer. Based on his (attorney's) get-up, I mean outfit, I'd say the truck driver's outfit came from the attorney. When people are in custody for a long time, the attorneys will often "help" with courtroom outfits.

^ He dressed him up like a banquet server... WTF?

Yes, he does look ridiculous. Rather be in orange.

R120, I don’t think anyone here thinks the sentence is appropriate. There is a wide swath between “no criminality” and an excessive sentence, however.

Here's Dr. Grande's take on the case.

1. Truck driver was seen driving recklessly before issue with brakes.

2. Truck driver was driving too fast and / or relying on brakes too much (vs. downshifting) to slow down. Brakes got overheated & were not effective in stopping vehicle.

3. Brakes were relatively new (not malfunctioning).

4. Truck driver would not consider any plea offer except for "traffic tickets." Felt it was an accident only.

^^ idiot

[quote]When people are in custody for a long time, the attorneys will often "help" with courtroom outfits.

lol r124 well it looks like that DLer attorney had papi shaking his ass at a gogo bar and forgot they had a court date

Given that the Colorado governor is a gay, I wonder if he can commute the hottie Latino reckless vehicular manslaughterer's sentence to House Boy at the governor's mansion?

He's gay, R131?

Every one is gay for R131, even his father and grandfathers.

R30 In general, dude.

Here’s a video of the semi passing the runaway truck ramp.

I haven’t been following this case so I don’t know if the driver didn’t know what it was for or if he was concerned it would ruin his employer’s truck.

My understanding is that he had previously pulled over on Berthod Pass after seeing his brakes smoking. He waited a while and climbed back in. He drove down Hwy 40 and merged onto I70. By then he lost complete control as the brakes failed and he could not downshift since the truck was going too fast.

I feel he was sincere in his remorse and felt so sorry for the driver all the victims.

I think he missed the runaway truck exit, because he was too focused on trying to stop the truck, and wasn't paying much attention to anything in relation to signs. By the looks of that video, he did attempt to keep the truck from jack knifing by taking the bend in the road wide, while avoiding cars, until he finally couldn't. He's at fault for accident, but obviously didn't have a lot of experience operating. He should have just received one involuntary manslaughter charge, and whatever sentence that carries.

I agree R137.

The guy must have been panicking, and couldn't focus.

Can you imagine losing your brakes on a huge truck that's careening down a highway at 85 mph???

You're probably scared to death!!

But of course, Dataloungers are so perfect. They would know how to react in any situation, and handle it perfectly.

CUNTS.

LMAO, you guys only have sympathy for him cause he's hot. If he was a big fat redneck with a beer belly, which a lot of truckers are, no one would care if he got 110 years in prison.

R138, he caused the failed brakes and he's supposed to be a professional truck driver, so yes, he should know how to react in a situation with failed brakes. Can you imagine if no truckers know how to react when their rig is in trouble or in a dangerous situation?

110 years is too much, but he committed a lot of violations that day, so like someone upthread said, I feel 5 -10 years would be fitting.

That's all anyone here is saying, R139!!

No one is disagreeing with you about that.

Of course there should be some penalty. But NOT 110 years.

Well, R138 seems to think the guy is blameless because he panicked and was scared.

The only good thing that may come out of any of this is stricter regulations in the industry. No way should someone so incompetent be behind the wheel of these very dangerous vehicles.

This idiot didn't know what he was doing and then had the arrogance to turn down a plea, plus he tried to flee the scene. He killed four people, injured others and caused a lot of damage and he thought he'd get a citation? JFC, he's stupid and would be better off working as a pool boy.

Why Caitlyn Jenner was not charged anything for killing someone ?

That would have been TRANS-PHOBIC!!!, and LITERAL VIOLENCE!!! against the transfolx R142. Not to mention would have caused ACTUAL SUICIDE!!!

Totally agree R137.

I’d like to know how much mountain-driving training his employer gave him.

And if even with training, did his employer caution him about how runaway truck ramps totally destroy a truck and he’d be in trouble if he did take one?

Geesh I’ve driven Hwy 40 and I70 since the 70s. I don’t know where all of the “Truckers you are not done yet USE LOW GEAR” signs are, as well as if there was another runaway ramp between the intersection of 40 and 70 after the driver bypassed the one on video.

But clearly this kid was utterly untrained, panicking, and confused all the while trying to save his employer’s truck and not jackknife it on I70.

Of course Gov Polis will commute most of the sentence. As he should. Maybe 2 years is appropriate.

And there will be a committee appointed to look at the sentencing guidelines and the DA’s rigorous charges.

My heart breaks for the victims as well as the driver. Frankly, the driver would be an excellent driver of I70 and I80 now that he knows mountain driving.

The journey from Vail Pass or Berthod Pass into Denver is so steep! Truckers must have training to even attempt the rigorous I70/I80 routes in Colorado and Wyoming!

There should be NO WAY a semi license should be granted without knowing the hazards of mountain/winter driving!

[quote] My heart breaks for the victims as well as the driver.

How nice of you!! The poor people sitting there who were killed by an incompetent, reckless, and negligent trucker have been deemed worthy of sympathy according to you, R144.

[quote] Frankly, the driver would be an excellent driver of I70 and I80 now that he knows mountain driving.

Are you trolling? This driver has no business getting behind the wheel of a truck ever again. If he gets out of prison the first thing that needs to happen is for his license to be permanently revoked. He knew he had brake trouble which he caused, stopped to inspect his smoking brakes, got back in the truck and descended the grade anyway. Then he avoided taking a runaway truck ramp, crashed into innocent people and then tried to run from the scene of the accident he caused. To make all of that even worse, this guy figures he shouldn't have received anything more than a traffic ticket for what he did!!

Even if he was poorly trained in mountainous territory, he shouldn't have accepted the job of driving in that type of terrain, and yes, as a professional, he should have turned down work he wasn't qualified for, so I don't have sympathy for him if that was the situation. There are many professions, including trucking, where you have a personal responsibility for public safety. Another job with similar requirements is railway work. You don't agree to run a train through the mountains if you are not qualified to do so, and you don't continue operating a train if there have been problems with the brakes. If an accident happens you can be held personally responsible, that's just the way it is.

I don't feel one bit sorry for him other than I do agree that the 110 year sentence is excessive. If he was truly repentant he would have taken the plea.

Good lord some of you in this thread. I hope that you're not the next innocent person taken out by an incompetent trucker. This does not mean that the industry doesn't have to change, but drivers are supposed to be pros and they are responsible for their actions/inactions.

I think we all know people who, somehow, got "qualified" to do the job that they do. E.g., quack doctors, stupid attorneys, etc.

Maybe this guy passed whatever tests he needed to take but was just plain too stupid to operate a truck. At some point, we have to trust stupid people to, at least, recognize their limitations.

R128 Fuck off with that alt right dipshit, no professional doctor can diagnose someone without treating them, how anyone takes that trumptard seriously is bizarre.

R57 Lmao you whites don't understand why everything is about race? You make everything about race dipshit.

I want to be Rogel's "sponsor" when he gets out of prison.

I have a warm bed (and mouth) waiting for him!

My mother was killed by someone speeding and texting. While I thought the driver was a stupid cunt there was nothing to be served by her going to jail. Society needs to get over its need for petty fucking revenge. Prisons should be for rehabilitation and failing that housing the depraved and irredeemable.

I'm amazed you can have that outlook/attitude towards the person who killed your mother, R150.

I don't think I could be as big a person as you are.

I'd want revenge.

R151 maybe it comes from having a family full of angry bitter wretched who hold tightly to every perceived so ght done toward them. Ijust don't see the point. I was certainly angry but better to channel it toward something positive. In the long run it better serves not only me but my mother's memory.

R152, I'm glad you are not consumed with bitterness.

I do think *some* jail time is in order for people who text / watch movies, etc., while driving (and cause death and injuries). People need to be deterred from this kind of stupid behavior that harms others.

[quote] People need to be deterred from this kind of stupid behavior that harms others.

If you're going to sentence someone to 110 years in prison for an accident caused by stupid behavior, then you might as well just kill the kid.

[quote] Leniency calls grow for trucker sentenced in Colorado crash

DENVER (AP) — An online petition has gathered millions of signatures calling for leniency for a 26-year-old truck driver who was sentenced to 110 years in prison for vehicular homicide in an explosive accident at the base of a Colorado mountain highway that killed four people in 2019.

More than 4.5 million people had signed the change.org petition urging Gov. Jared Polis to grant clemency or commute Rogel Aguilera-Mederos' sentence by Tuesday, The Denver Gazette reports. Truckers nationwide have voiced outrage over the sentence on Twitter, using the hashtags #NoTrucksToColorado and #NoTrucksColorado, among others.

Aguilera-Mederos was convicted in October of vehicular homicide and other charges stemming from the April 25, 2019, crash. He testified that he was hauling lumber when the brakes on his semitrailer failed as he was descending a steep grade of Interstate 70 in the Rocky Mountain foothills.

His truck plowed into vehicles that had slowed because of another wreck in the Denver suburb of Lakewood. He was traveling at least 85 mph (137 kph) on a part of the interstate where commercial vehicles are limited to 45 mph (72 kph).

The chain-reaction wreck involving 28 vehicles ruptured gas tanks, causing a fireball that consumed vehicles and melted parts of the highway.

Prosecutors argued that as Aguilera-Mederos' truck barreled down from the mountains, he could have used a runaway ramp alongside the interstate that is designed to safely stop vehicles that have lost their brakes. Aguilera-Mederos testified he was struggling to avoid traffic and to shift his truck into lower gear to slow it down.

In imposing the sentence, District Court Judge Bruce Jones said it was the mandatory minimum term set forth under state law — and suggested a lesser punishment was warranted. Mandatory minimum sentencing laws required that sentences on 27 counts of vehicular assault, assault, reckless driving and other charges run consecutively.

“I will state that if I had the discretion, it would not be my sentence,” the judge said.

First Judicial District Attorney Alexis King, whose office prosecuted the case, said after sentencing she would welcome a reconsideration of the punishment. But she told The Denver Post that Aguilera-Mederos didn’t accept efforts to negotiate a plea deal, and that the convictions recognized the harm caused to victims of the crash.

Polis’ office issued a statement saying that “we welcome an application from Rogel Lazaro Aguilera-Mederos and will expedite consideration but have not received one yet at this time.”

Aguilera-Mederos’ attorney, James Colgan, told The Post he intends to appeal the jury’s verdict and that any application for clemency or leniency would have to wait pending that appeal. Among other factors, an application requires input from the Department of Corrections.

Duane Bailey, the brother of William Bailey, asked the judge to sentence Aguilera-Mederos to at least 20 years, the Post reported. “He made a deliberate and intentional decision that his life was more important than everyone else on the road that day,” Bailey said.

Bailey's wife, Gage Evans, told The New York Times the driver's sentence shouldn't be commuted but that lawmakers should instead examine the sentencing laws.

“This person should spend some time in prison and think about his actions,” Evans said, adding she and other victims' relatives object to a “public narrative” that Aguilera-Mederos is a victim. “We are truly the victims,” she said.

Aguilera-Mederos wept as he apologized to the victims’ families at his sentencing. He asked for their forgiveness.

“I am not a murderer. I am not a killer. When I look at my charges, we are talking about a murderer, which is not me,” he said. “I have never thought about hurting anybody in my entire life.”

Justice for Rogel!

And tighter shirts!

It says he needed an interpreter. He probably couldn't read the signs. Waaay too many of these types on our roads.

Lock him up!

DJT

Get used to more of this. The trucking companies are hiring anyone with a pulse. Gone are the days of qualified truck drivers.

I know it's been posted already, but I think it should be reiterated. Nobody's saying he shouldn't be punished BUT 110 years for ANYTHING is fucking ridiculous.

I agree R35. A harsh enough sentence would be 10 to 20 years. 110 years is way over the top for this accident. Murderers get a much lighter sentence. It is hateful that he got this much time. Our justice here is fucked up.

The worst people on earth don't get 110 years....

Did he not pilot his vehicle in an injudicious manner?

Yea...will go there, but if the driver were white...he is Hispanic, the sentence would have perhaps been lighter.

I am positive he won't serve the entire 110 year sentence.

R159

And? There is no workforce, it is a dying industry, so they have to take desperate measures. And robot cars are no where near ready.

[quote] Yea...will go there, but if the driver were white...he is Hispanic, the sentence would have perhaps been lighter.

from the OP link article

[quote] During sentencing, the judge acknowledged that Aguilera-Mederos didn't intend to harm anyone. But under guidelines set by the law, his sentence could be no less than 110 years.

r164 Yes there is racism but minimum sentencing laws don't give higher sentences to non-whites.

R165 You may be right about that.

If he were white the charges themselves would not have been anywhere near as severe therefore a far lesser sentence.

r4, if you read the article.

There were 4 counts of vehicular manslaughter and he got the minimum sentence for all of them but in Colorado you must serve them consecutively.

His negligence was taking a mountainous route with little experience and missing the escape lane was his recklessness. The law is obscene and the judge could not sentence him to lesser. He got a life sentence for an accident. 10 years is max. But I don't think jail helps someone like him.

[quote] He got a life sentence for an accident. 10 years is max. But I don't think jail helps someone like him.

At least he will learn the pleasures of getting his BUSSY blown out by a ten inch BBC!

r171/ Jussie, judging from some of these pics, Rogel might already know the pleasures

He’ll be getting a hearing in January at the request of the prosecution.

[quote] He’ll be getting a hearing in January at the request of the prosecution.

When even the prosecution thinks that the defendant's sentence was too harsh, you KNOW the system is fucked up!

[quote] If a truck looses its breaks

Oh, DEAR x2!

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

No. Let him rot in jail.

I had not seen R176 (I'm R177). This is preposterous. Dude was being irresponsible and caused a huge accident.

By the way, he looks like a serial killer in the unmasked pictures.

When he finally gets through this ridiculous 10-year sentence, he will walk out of prison and do something similar all over again. Watch.

10 years sound right. Glad this sentence was commuted. It was preposterous. No r178, if I do 10 years for reckless driving, no I'm certainly not doing it again.

Nobody better ever, ever again hire him to drive a truck. He's simply not competent in that area, licensed or not.

Thank goodness.

Rogel is only 26.

By the time he gets out of prison he will be 36.

Older and wiser.

And yeah, 10 years in prison is NO walk in the park

20 years minimum was the correct sentence. Manslaughter. I hope the victims sue this negligent driver and the trucking company into a oblivion.

Oh yeah, R178.

Asshole driver!

They're not sending their best.

But that's you, R179. Are you a psychopath? You don't sound like one. This guy, however, IS a psychopath. Look at the unmasked pictures. Look at the pictures of the fake crying.

Like I said, in 10 years he'll get out and do something similar all over again. Just watch.