Truck crash victim’s widow blasts ‘loudmouth’ Kim Kardashian for lobbying for Rogel Aguilera-Mederos
Widow tells Kardashian to butt out as she doesn’t want justice system ‘taken over by who has the loudest mouth out there’
Kim Kardashian has been blasted as a “loudmouth” by the widow of a man killed in a 2019 Colorado pile-up after the reality TV star claimed the state’s laws were “so unfair”.
Kardashian added her powerful voice to calls for governor Jared Polis to grant truck driver Rogel Aguilera-Mederos clemency after he was sentenced to a mandatory 110 year prison term for involuntary homicide.
Kathleen Harrison, whose husband Doyle, was among four killed in the 2019 pile-up, believes the 110 year term was too harsh, and a sentence of 20 years would have been more appropriate.
But she told TMZ she wanted Kardashian to butt out of the case.
“I don’t think that we want our local proceedings in any state taken over by who has the loudest mouth out there, because people don't know all the details, they are running on emotion,” Ms Harrison said.
In a lengthy social media post, Kardashian said she had taken a “deep dive” into the case to “figure out what the situation is”.
I know everyone has been posting about Rogel Aguilera-Mederos this week. I took a deep dive in it to figure out what the situation is. pic.twitter.com/617xtcGOMK
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) December 21, 2021
“(A) 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.
“Colorado law really has to be changed and this is so unfair.”
Another shocking part of the case is this post by the prosecutor after his conviction. Four people died in this tragic accident. Rogel has a life sentence for the accident, which will not only destroy his life, but it will also impact his wife and son’s life. pic.twitter.com/xrYSqL2IvM
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) December 21, 2021
She continued: “Another shocking part of the case is this post by the prosecutor after his conviction. Four people died in this tragic accident. Rogel has a life sentence for the accident, which will not only destroy his life, but it will also impact his wife and son’s life.”
Nearly 4.9 million people have signed a petition calling for Aguilera-Mederos, 26, to be given clemency.
A prosecutor in the case, Alexis King, has also asked the judge to reconsider the sentence.
Aguilera-Mederos, then aged 23, was driving an 18-wheeler semi-truck along Interstate 70 in Lakewood, near Denver, Colorado on 25 April 2019, for his job as a driver for a Texas-based trucking firm.
He said the truck’s brakes failed as he was driving down hill in rush hour traffic and he lost control of the vehicle.
The truck slammed into dozens of vehicles and caused a 28-vehicle crash. A gas tank ignited, sparking a fiery explosion which left four men dead.
The victims were Mr Harrison, 61, William Bailey, 67, Miguel Angel Lamas Arrellano, 24, and Stanley Politano, 69.