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I-70 Crash Survivor Wants Truck Driver Rogel Aguilera-Mederos To Serve 50 Years

UPDATE: Colorado Governor Reduces Rogel Aguilera-Mederos Sentence To 10 Years

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) -- One of the survivors of the deadly crash on Interstate 70 at Colorado Mills Parkway in 2019 is talking about the push to reduce the sentence of the semi truck driver blamed for the fiery crash. Rogel Aguilera-Mederos was sentenced to 110 years in prison for the crash that killed four people and injured several others.

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A judge has set a new hearing to reconsider the sentence for Auilera-Mederos on Thursday, Jan. 13.

Prosecutors say they have talked with family members and victims, who are comfortable with a sentence of 20 to 30 years.

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Rogel Lazaro Aguilera-Mederos (credit: Lakewood Police)

However, crash survivor Valerie Robertson-Young has advocated for at least 50 years -- saying Aguilera-Mederos approached her after the wreck, asking to use her phone. She claims he said he needed to get away.

Robertson-Young says April 25, 2019, was the worst day of her life.

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"I'm glad I'm alive. I made it out," she said tearfully that afternoon.

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"When I close my eyes, I see the accident over and over," she told CBS4's Kelly Werthmann, three weeks after the wreck.

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A speeding semi narrowly missed Valerie's silver Hyundai before crashing into the cars right in front of her on I-70 near Colorado Mills Parkway. The crash caused a deadly inferno on the interstate.

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"I felt guilty for moving over," she said. "Originally I was in the middle lane and I got over and one of the cars where I was got ran over. The truck went right over the top of that. Somebody lost their life."

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Valerie said she sought the help of a victim's advocate for counseling and takes sleeping pills to help her rest in the days and weeks following the crash.

 

 

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