A truck driver has been thrust into the national spotlight after a Colorado judge handed him a mandatory 110-year prison sentence last week over a deadly 2019 crash.
Truck drivers around the country are standing in solidarity with Rogel Lazaro Aguilera-Mederos following his December 13 sentencing, KDVR reports. In a series of videos posted to TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, and other social media platforms, multiple truck drivers claim they will not drive to the Centennial State. Protestors claim the convicted man's sentence was excessive and the state's mandatory minimum laws could affect them negatively, as well.
Despite these pledges, Greg Fulton, the president of the Colorado Motor Carriers Association, says he hasn't heard about any Colorado truck drivers participating.
"The videos look like they are from a different time or period," Fulton told CBS 4. "I would hope that’s not happening, because I think that would be the wrong approach, no matter how you look at this."
Aguilera-Mederos was convicted of 27 counts, including vehicle homicide, after he lost control of his semi-truck and crashed into halted traffic on Interstate 70 in Lakewood. The tragic incident left four people dead and several more injured, reports say.
"If I had the discretion, it would not be my sentence," the Jefferson County judge who sentenced Aguilera-Mederos says, but affirmed the law requires his sentence to be at least 110 years given the charges.
"Attorneys for Aguilera-Mederos argued there is case law that should apply and would allow for the minimum sentence, in this case, to be decreased to 20 years," reporters pointed out. "The judge disagreed, but did say it may be a case that may be appropriate for review."
Millions of people have also signed an online petition calling for Colorado Gov. Jared Polis to grant clemency to Aguilera-Mederos.