Rogel Lazaro Aguilera-Mederos concept he became going to die and closed his eyes before his semi-truck slammed into sponsored up site visitors, 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 as a minimum 4 humans and leaving numerous others injured, police stated.
Aguilera-Mederos, 23, is being held on 4 counts of vehicular homicide in reference to the crash. He briefly appeared in court docket Saturday and a decide ordered his bond to be set at $four hundred,000. Formal expenses have now not but 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 visitors but any other 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 became wrong whilst he noticed Aguilera-Mederos “extensive eyed” and “with a terrifying appearance on his face,” the affidavit states.
After Saturday’s listening to, Robert Corry, a lawyer representing Aguilera-Mederos, stated his patron changed into in “deep sorrow” and became 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 is of the same opinion it was an accident. Law enforcement has the same opinion it becomes a coincidence. Everybody who has been investigating or has checked out it believes it changed into a twist of fate, and it’s tragic.”
Authorities had said there has been no proof of drugs or alcohol in the crash.
Lakewood Police Department Agent Ty Countryman said investigators are searching into whether or not there had been any mechanical issues with the truck, however stated he believed that vehicular manslaughter costs would nonetheless stick if a mechanical problem is confirmed.
Aguilera-Mederos has an industrial driving force’s license from Texas. The suspect’s brother, Daniel Aguilera, said Rogel is Cuban and is a permanent resident of the United States.
