Rogel Lazaro Aguilera-Mederos’ concept he was going to die and closed his eyes before his semi-truck slammed into up site, sparking a massive, deadly fire in Colorado, the government said. The semi-truck hit approximately 28 cars and trucks alongside Interstate 70 on Thursday near Denver, killing a minimum of 4 people and leaving numerous others injured, police stated. Aguilera-Mederos, 23, is being held on 4 counts of vehicular homicide in the crash. He briefly appeared in court docket Saturday, and a decide ordered his bond to be set at $ 000. Formal expenses have not been filed, pending the outcomes of the investigation.
Investigators say Aguilera-Mederos informed them he turned into riding at eighty-five mph while the brakes failed. He attempted to drag over to the shoulder to avoid stopped site vehicles, but another semi had stopped there, an arrest affidavit indicates. “Rogel stated the idea he changed into going to die, so he closed his eyes earlier than hitting the stopped traffic,” the report states.
A witness advised police that, previous to the crash, he noticed something had become wrong whilst he noticed Aguilera-Mederos “extensively eyed” and “with a terrifying appearance on his face,” the affidavit states. After Saturday’s listening, Robert Corry, a lawyer representing Aguilera-Mederos, stated his client changed into “deep sorrow” and began cooperating with police.
“It can’t be overstated, the degree to which he feels sorrow for this, without a doubt, tragic coincidence,” Corry stated. “Everybody agrees it was an accident. Law enforcement has the same opinion. It becomes a coincidence. Everybody who has been investigating or has checked it out believes it changed into a twist of fate, and it’s tragic.”
Authorities had said there had been no proof of drugs or alcohol in the crash. Lakewood Police Department Agent Ty Countryman said investigators are looking into whether there had been any mechanical issues with the truck. However, he stated he believed that vehicular manslaughter costs would stick if a mechanical problem is confirmed. Aguilera-Mederos has an industrial driving force license from Texas. The suspect’s brother, Daniel Aguilera, said Rogel is Cuban and is a permanent resident of the United States.
