The truck driver initially sentenced to 110 years for a brake failure crash in Colorado that killed four people is now seeking parole.
Rogel Aguilera-Mederos was initially sentenced to 110 years for the 2019 crash on Interstate 70 in Colorado. Prosecutors argued that Mederos was speeding and bypassed a runaway truck ramp just before the crash. His 110 year sentence was drawn from the sheer number of charges filed against him, mandatory minimum sentencing laws, and the legal requirement that he serve the sentences consecutively.
The case and extensive sentence drew national attention, and in December 2021 Colorado Governor Polis reduced the sentence to 10 years. Now, Mederos is eligible for and actively seeking parole. He will officially be eligible for parole at the end of December.
“The brakes went out, so I try to avoid the traffic, you know, not to hurt nobody,” said Mederos during his parole hearing, reported CBS.
“Unfortunately, the traffic was stopped, and four people lost their lives. I feel bad about it. I feel sorry, sad. I would have preferred God taking me instead of them…. I pray every day. I would like to be forgiven by everyone involved in this trial. I would like to talk to them one day and let them know how I feel.”
The parole board is now weighing the severity of his crime, his behavior while incarcerated, his participation in any rehabilitation and treatment programs, and his release plan in order to determine if he will be eligible.
“I’m going to make sure that you don’t regret your choice if I’m granted parole,” he said. “I’m not coming back to prison. I feel like I don’t belong here.”
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