GUILTY CO - Semi Driver Arrested After Slamming Into Cars on I-70, Lakewood, multiple deaths, Apr 2019

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Trucker found guilty on 27 counts, including vehicular homicide, in I-70 crash | FOX31 Denver

[A jury on Friday found Aguilera-Mederos guilty of 27 counts:

  • Vehicular homicide: 4 counts
  • Vehicular assault: 2 counts
  • Assault in the first degree: 6 counts
  • Criminal attempt to commit assault in the first degree: 10 counts
  • Reckless driving: 1 count
  • Careless driving: 4 counts
He was found not guilty of 15 counts of criminal attempt to commit assault in the first degree.

Sentencing is set for Dec. 13 at 1:30 p.m.]
 
I'm just confused about the differences in sentencing. Just recently a driver couldn't be charged when he killed a cyclist and despite the fact that it was proven that he crossed the lines into the cycle lane police deemed it just a tragic traffic accident and this guys gets 110 years?
 
Why Different Crim Charges?
Baciagalupo said:
I'm just confused about the differences in sentencing. Just recently a driver couldn't be charged when he killed a cyclist and despite the fact that it was proven that he crossed the lines into the cycle lane police deemed it just a tragic traffic accident and this guys gets 110 years?
Click to expand...
@Baciagalupo Good question. Your post refers to the difference in sentencing between this semi-driver causing deaths in CO. & your example of driver causing death. Of course, w. your driver not being charged, there's no sentencing for him/her.
Beyond that, w'out having details of circumstances re the driver-killing-cyclist, it's hard to say why driver w was not charged.

Why a seeming discrepancy in charging driver for a death, not another driver?
Just speculating some of these issues may have been considered in decision not to charge in your example: Different jurisdiction, different laws, different PD, different prosecutor/dist. atty, different caseloads, etc.

This case, why these multiple charges?
Vehicle operator held a CDL/ commercial driver's license, drove semi trucks for a living, so should have better driving skills than other "ordinary" drivers. Iirc this crash happened in broad daylight, nothing impairing the semi-driver's view of road ahead. No weather related hazards contributed to crash. I don't recall whether he was on cell, talking, texting, or somehow clearly distracted from his responsibility in operating very powerful, very heavy, very big vehicle.

Per article, evd at trial showed truck driver knew brakes on truck were not operating properly; he bypassed a runaway truck ramp, which he could have used to reduce or even entirely prevent injuries/deaths to others & damage to property. And showed while weaving in and out of lanes, the semi-driver had chance to hit other semi's. W brakes failing, he decided to hit passenger cars/smaller vehicles, which would likely be, a crash likely to cause less risk of injury/death to him. Would likely cause more injury to ppl in smaller vehicles, than to ppl in semi, if he had hit a semi.

And this crash killed four people (all in vehicles, so thus not so likely to be killed as a pedestrian), not one cyclist.

Likely some other factors were different too.

This case, why long sentence?
Jury found him guilty on some counts, not on others; the judge noted, w the guilty verdicts, CO. law mandated certain minimum prison terms, for a total of 110 yrs. From linked article: "The judge said his hands were tied when it came to sentencing, because Colorado's violent crime statute is specific."

If any post suggests (not saying your post does), this semi-driver was charged w many crimes & received long sentences, based solely/in large part, on his race or ethnicity, I respectfully disagree. my2ct. ymmv.
 
Last edited:
More Reasons* for Crim. Counts
Oh yeah, semi-driver drove as fast as 85 mph; his truck was loaded w lumber; and I neglected to mention the numerous others injured in the crash.

@Baciagalupo Again, I do not know circumstances of after-crossing-line-motorist-killed-cyclist example in your post, but I doubt that driver's actions were as egregious as this semi-driver's actions. my2ct
_____________________________
* "Aguilera-Moderos was driving a semi-trailer loaded with lumber. Prosecutors say he barreled eastbound down the interstate from the mountains at speeds of up to 85 miles per hour. His truck swerved at times, forcing other drivers off the road."
Trucker found guilty on 27 counts, including vehicular homicide, in I-70 crash | FOX31 Denver Oct 15, 2021
See also. Driver who killed 4 in fiery I-70 crash sentenced to 110 years | 9news.com Dec 13, 2021
 
Counting Protestors & Signatures?
Protestors.
In Denver protest today, eight (8) people appeared to protest.*
Signatures on Petition:
More than 4.4 million people signed petition urging Governor to reduce defendant's sentence.*

If change.org website explains how they count signatures on a petition, I missed it.
Using only one email address, can I "sign" a petition 10, 100, or 1000 times? Or does the co. have a method for identifying and excluding multiple "signatures" originating from a unique identifier?
Anyone? TiA.
__________________________
* Petition to grant clemency to Colorado truck driver jailed for 110 years reaches 4.4M signatures | Daily Mail Online
** Sign the Petition
 
Last edited:
Controversial 110-year sentence to be reconsidered for truck driver responsible for fatal crash: DA

Truck driver Rogel Aguilera-Mederos was sentenced on Dec. 13 to 110 years in prison for a 2019 fiery crash just outside Denver that killed four people and injured several others – a sentence that the judge in the case said he wouldn't have chosen if he had the discretion.

A spokesman for the Colorado First Judicial District Attorney's Office told ABC News on Tuesday afternoon that the DA's office "filed a motion to start the reconsideration process" of the sentence on Friday afternoon, and Jefferson County District Attorney Alexis King has requested that the court set a new hearing "as soon as practicable."
Click to expand...
 
Alexis King, district attorney for the [URL='https://www.jeffco.us/619/DAs-Office']1st Judicial District, issued a brief statement Monday indicating the matter was being handled internally.

“It is not a piece of evidence from the case,” according to the statement, issued through a spokesman. “The post was in very poor taste and does not reflect the values of my administration.”

The spokesman later clarified that King finds the trophy in poor taste.


[/URL]
I-70 truck case prosecutor got 'trophy' for conviction | 9news.com
 
Who Called Brake Shoe a "Trophy?"

{ ETA: If prosecutor's FB had said brake shoe represented justice for those injured & injured thru criminal prosecution of defendant, this news may not have received so much attention. }

MSM 9news.com* called a semi-truck's brake shoe a "trophy" & said prosecutor Wildeman’s FB page called it a "makeshift trophy."*

False. Image of prosecutor's FB page shown in vid at link** referred to the brake shoe w plaque as "memento" not "trophy." Her FB w a photo was a tribute thanking the other atty she worked w on the case.

What's the diff between the two words? In the criminal law context, "trophy" is often used to describe an item a murderer takes from a crime scene & retains as a reminder of his criminal acts.

Prosecutor said memento; MSM said trophy. Is that media spin, subtly hinting at wrongdoing by prosecutor? IDK. Maybe my ;) hair splitting or my sometimes over-active imagination. my2ct.
___________________________
* ".... posted a photo of the trophy..."
^ I-70 truck case prosecutor got 'trophy' for conviction | 9news.com
** 9news.com's phrasing: "In the Facebook post, Wildeman writes that she received the makeshift trophy from a fellow deputy district attorney...." bbm sbm
^ ibid.
 
Last edited:
al66pine said:
Counting Protestors & Signatures?
Protestors.
In Denver protest today, eight (8) people appeared to protest.*
Signatures on Petition:
More than 4.4 million people signed petition urging Governor to reduce defendant's sentence.*

If change.org website explains how they count signatures on a petition, I missed it.
Using only one email address, can I "sign" a petition 10, 100, or 1000 times? Or does the co. have a method for identifying and excluding multiple "signatures" originating from a unique identifier?
Anyone? TiA.
__________________________
* Petition to grant clemency to Colorado truck driver jailed for 110 years reaches 4.4M signatures | Daily Mail Online
** Sign the Petition
Click to expand...

anyone can sign paper petitions multiple times too so what's the difference

and no you cannot sign more than once using the same email address
 
al66pine said:
Why Different Crim Charges?
@Baciagalupo Good question. Your post refers to the difference in sentencing between this semi-driver causing deaths in CO. & your example of driver causing death. Of course, w. your driver not being charged, there's no sentencing for him/her.
Beyond that, w'out having details of circumstances re the driver-killing-cyclist, it's hard to say why driver w was not charged.

Why a seeming discrepancy in charging driver for a death, not another driver?
Just speculating some of these issues may have been considered in decision not to charge in your example: Different jurisdiction, different laws, different PD, different prosecutor/dist. atty, different caseloads, etc.

This case, why these multiple charges?
Vehicle operator held a CDL/ commercial driver's license, drove semi trucks for a living, so should have better driving skills than other "ordinary" drivers. Iirc this crash happened in broad daylight, nothing impairing the semi-driver's view of road ahead. No weather related hazards contributed to crash. I don't recall whether he was on cell, talking, texting, or somehow clearly distracted from his responsibility in operating very powerful, very heavy, very big vehicle.

Per article, evd at trial showed truck driver knew brakes on truck were not operating properly; he bypassed a runaway truck ramp, which he could have used to reduce or even entirely prevent injuries/deaths to others & damage to property. And showed while weaving in and out of lanes, the semi-driver had chance to hit other semi's. W brakes failing, he decided to hit passenger cars/smaller vehicles, which would likely be, a crash likely to cause less risk of injury/death to him. Would likely cause more injury to ppl in smaller vehicles, than to ppl in semi, if he had hit a semi.

And this crash killed four people (all in vehicles, so thus not so likely to be killed as a pedestrian), not one cyclist.

Likely some other factors were different too.

This case, why long sentence?
Jury found him guilty on some counts, not on others; the judge noted, w the guilty verdicts, CO. law mandated certain minimum prison terms, for a total of 110 yrs. From linked article: "The judge said his hands were tied when it came to sentencing, because Colorado's violent crime statute is specific."

If any post suggests (not saying your post does), this semi-driver was charged w many crimes & received long sentences, based solely/in large part, on his race or ethnicity, I respectfully disagree. my2ct. ymmv.
Click to expand...

[rbm]

he was not on a cell phone
 
 
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