Kim Kardashian is joining the conversation surrounding a controversial prison sentence given to a truck driver. In 2019, Rogel Aguilera-Mederos crashed the truck he was driving, killing four people and injuring several others. He was sentenced to 110 years in prison after being found guilty of multiple crimes, but people around the world are working to reduce his sentence.
The Tragic Accident
Aguilera-Mederos was hauling a truck filled with lumber on a highway near Lakewood, Colorado when the brakes failed. While trying to gain control of the vehicle, he crashed into cars that had stopped on the highway due to another accident. This led to a pileup that caused the deaths of four people: Miguel Angel Lamas Arellano, William Bailey, Doyle Harrison, and Stanley Politano.
While this is a tragic accident, police maintain that Aguilera-Mederos was at fault. In addition to driving past a truck ramp (made specifically for out-of-control trucks), police say he was driving at least 85 miles an hour before the crash. The stretch of highway he was driving on at the time of the accident had a 45 mile an hour speed limit for commercial vehicles.
Aguilera-Mederos’ lengthy sentence is due to the number of counts he was charged with – 42 – and found guilty on 27 of them. Prosecutors sought the minimum penalties for each charge, but because of the number of charges and a law that says some must be served consecutively. As a result, Aguilera-Mederos received 110 years.
Millions Rally Around Aguilera-Mederos
While Aguilera-Mederos is seeking commutation for his sentence, almost five million people have signed a change.org petition asking Colorado Governor Jared Polis to grant him clemency or commute his sentence for time served.
Kardashian is another individual begging Governor Polis to rethink Aguilera-Mederos’ sentence. The reality star posted a series of tweets about the case, explaining the unfair law that led to this sentence.
“Another shocking and unfair part of this case is that the judge didn’t want to sentence him to such a lengthy sentence. However, because of the mandatory minimums in Colorado, his hands were tied. Mandatory minimums take away judicial discretion and need to end,” Kardashian wrote. “Colorado law really has to be changed and this is so unfair. @GovofCO is a really good person and I know he will do the right thing.”
“I pray that Governor Polis, who has been a leader on supporting reforms that increase human dignity in the legal system, will commute his sentence,” she continued. Kardashian also posted about Aguilera-Mederos’ case on her Instagram story, restating her tweets.
Gov. Polis said that he had not yet received a clemency application from Aguilera-Mederos, but his office reviews every application. “We review all clemency applications, we’ve yet to receive one from the individual but every clemency application that we receive, we review and make a determination,” he said. Let’s hope he considers it quickly.