110 Year Sentence for Killer Truck Descent | Rogel Aguilera-Mederos Case Analysis
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- čas přidán 18. 12. 2021
- This video answers the question: Can I analyze the case of Rogel Aguilera-Mederos?
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We lost a family member who took his truck off the highway to avoid slamming into people. Rest In Peace, Joey.
God bless your family. That man died as a hero. He consciously decided, within seconds, to save lives and prayed for his life.
Your family man died a hero, in the eyes of God. Time stands still when we are in these situations milliseconds are real moments.
Bless your heart. So sorry for your loss. ❤
After being in the trucking industry for 40 years, I can offer a few points. First of all, modern trucks have incredibly strong engine brakes. Strong enough to hold back 80,000 lbs on a 6% grade without air brake assistance. If the truck was out of gear, the engine brake would not function. The producer of this content was mistaken when he said that the truck should never be out of gear. It IS out of gear between shifts. If he miss shifted it might well be impossible to get it back into gear... especially if the engine had a governor on it, (most modern trucks do), and he didn't have enough air braking ability to slow it down to match the speed with the desired gear. If this driver was truly looking to save himself, he would have been desperate to find an escape ramp. Is it possible that he didn't even know what an escape ramp was? Bottom line, this driver should have NEVER been on that highway given his inexperience and ignorance. How much of that is his own fault can be debated.
What do you think an appropriate sentence wouldave been
How can you get your cdl without knowing what an escape ramp is? Regardless of his overall experience, someone with a license to drive a killing machine should know all of his vehicle’s limitations and what the necessary steps are to mitigate emergency situations.
Well said.
THANKYOU for your excellent comments
Thanks.
Like many others here, i am a long-time Colorado resident. That stretch of I-70 does not just run through the Rocky Mountain foothills. It goes high through the mountains. The elevation of the high end of the Eisenhower Tunnel is 11,158 feet, and the official elevation of Lakewood, where the crash occured, is about 5,500 feet. I have driven this road in compact cars, and it can be scary even then. You can pick up speed very quickly without feeling it. The trucking company should never have sent such an inexperienced driver to drive through the mountains alone.
I heard the prosecution argue he wasn't even supposed to take thet route but chose to take it because it saved on gas or gas was cheaper.. i forgot what they said.
@@miamiwax5504 shouldn’t matter. Drivers don’t pay for their own gas.. the company does.
@@miamiwax5504 i heard something similar, that he was not licensed to drive in Colorado. I havent given it much thought but might be worth some research.
@@fernandovazquez9836 that’s not how driver licenses work. You don’t need to have a license for a state you’re driving through. If you’re from California, you can drive in NY without having a NY driver’s license.
@@CrustyUgg I'm just saying what I heard. I listened to the stream of the final arguments. Random name btw..
I am a truck driver, and I know that stretch of I-70 pretty well.
His failure to use runaway truck ramps may have been motivated by money.
Truck does indeed get "stuck" in the gravel, by design. Removal of the truck from the ramp is expensive - heavy duty tow truck is required. Reconditioning of the ramp after the incident is required. Police will definitely (100%) arrive and most likely issue expensive citations. There will almost certainly be damage to truck and trailer, potentially expensive.
So if the truck driver is going to use this runaway truck ramp, he is looking to pay thousands of dollars, lose several hours on the day of the incident (unpaid), lose unknown number of days for repair to the truck (most likely unpaid), having this incident on his driving record, potentially have issues with his CDL license.
Also, most commercial loads are supposed to be on schedule, and an incident like this may delay delivery by unknown number of days, because of repairs. Driver may get substantial cut in pay for this load, if paid at all.
So... I am just writing this to try and explain how a truck driver would think about it, and unfortunately drivers think this way WHILE CONSIDERING the use of a runaway truck ramp 🤷🏿♀️
@
He was a poorly trained noob with no experience driving in the mountains.
Ask yourself would you rather take the runaway truck ramps or plow into stopped vehicles and possibly kill them. I would take the runaway truck ramps but you would take the 110 years right
@@Matt-kg3ge
Your grammar is perfectly consistent with your ability to draw logical conclusions.
🤪
@@RickDeckardMemories in NY at least, accepting the assignment means accepting the risks.
And trying to say that he couldn't see the huge clouds of thick black smoke from the burning metal is laughable. Have you ever seen a brake fire?
I was heading west on I-70 on the western slope, looking at all of the runaway ramp signs, when all the truckers laid on their airhorns and all merged left.
The runaway had to be going over 70 mph, and the smoke cloud was astonishing. There was a lot of rattling and banging as he went out of sight up the ramp. They're hard to miss.
I heard about this, the "punishment" and expenses of using the runaway ramps, discourages their use. This needs to change
Before becoming a teacher, I was a truck driver and had a few scary incidents. These included overheated brakes on a steep descent, getting cut off by lunatics in cars, and even sliding down an icy hill backwards. I survived each of these, and nobody was hurt because I didn't panic and stayed in control. Also, I drove like an old lady, according to my boss.
Sliding down a hill backwards but you were also in control. ; )
@@jamesbriscoe6070 Absolutely. When the tach was showing 1,500 rpm and the speedometer was showing zero, I took the truck out of gear, never touched the brakes, or made any significant steering inputs. I "coasted" down at a brisk pace. Thankfully it was during a storm and there were no cars. Scared the Hell out of me, but I had full control. The only injury was a strained muscle in my neck from switching between the two mirrors.
Well aren’t u special
@@Charmander009 Thanks. It's true. Commercial drivers are special people. They drive trucks and busses all day long. They need to safely drive vehicles that can weigh up to 80,000 pounds, in heavy traffic, on poorly maintained roads, while being surrounded by cars full of people. They need specialized training to handle air brakes and make sure these are operating according to safety specifications at all times. They take their job seriously, drive responsibly and keep the economy running.
@@basswars7060 better to drive a truck like an old lady than to be in this man's situation. Good on you
I find this case depressing in every way.
So true! You feel totally helpless hearing the details! Fault is hard to pin down. That accident that happened first is a large part of the equation!
I agree, yes he should go to prison but 110 years, Ethan Couch !!!!!!!!?????????????
It shows how hard working ppl are put to higher standards than police
If it was an accident he doesn’t deserve jail I don’t think
@@mamabear3217 oh don't even get me STARTED about the Pigs- the laws were literally written FOR THEM TO LEGALLY EXEMPT THEM FROM EVERYTHING!! never think for one second the State is EVER on your side! It's only on your side if you're a corporation or a Pig!
*Total legal exemption for pigs is on borrowed time now I believe. After GF people have had enough. Slowly but slowly the Blue Cartels are going to lose their special protections. It's already starting. It's only a matter of time now.
I was a mile behind him when the accident occurred, the fireball and black smoke or easily visible from where I was at, such a senseless tragedy. I never knew but I always wondered what happened in this case, what the outcome was. Thank you Doctor Grande for filling me in.
That's terrifying. Glad you weren't hurt.
@@Nok112 I appreciate your concern, and the only thing that I would say happened would be being stuck in traffic for several hours. When I finally got turned around and out of traffic, as you can imagine I really had to pee LOL
@@Ubermichello72
I've down that mountain and many others in a semi. Some steeper, all without a Jake (engine) brake. (East coast truck in the late 1970s)
An engine will overrev and blow up if left in gear with no brakes.
My guess is he foolishly took it out if gear after the tachometer reached engine limit.
His employer should be sued if they haven't been already. Mountain passes require training. I would never put a driver who hadn't been down a mountain in a truck by themselves.
That's insanity. As this proves, that isn't a game, there are deadly serious consequences.
Wow
@@jtjones4081 I was wondering if Dr Grande would mention the company who hired him. They should bear at least partial responsibility, right?
All the evidence coming out is actually changing my mind completely of this case
All I have to say is many of my friends who are like below 25 want to get there CDL because you can make so much money being a truck driver but they don’t think about how difficult and safe you have to be when driving a truck. They just saw how much they can get paid and just went for it, which is scary.
Why else do it?
@@khester7397 To see the country?🤣
I have travelled and driven across country for over a decade. In the last 5 years truckers have become noticeably more untrustworthy. Used to feel safe around them but not anymore
Work at a grocery store and we found out one of our drivers who stopped showing up fell asleep and died driving through Atlanta a few years ago.
@@YoungDeathWish It’s true-truckers were always the safest drivers out there. I honestly hadn’t realized that had changed.
One of my coworkers daughter was a survivor of that accident. She was the car in front of the cars on fire. She heard people screaming as they were burnt alive. She was having nightmares about the accident last time I heard.
Horrific. Wonder how all these people who want to cry for the driver would feel if they had witnessed that? Even people who weren't killed or injured will be affected by this for the rest of their lives. I hope you coworker's daughter can eventually stop having nightmares and put this horrible experience out of her mind.
@@natekeyes2297 a lot of people have an issue with the amount of time he got in this case. Ethan Couch , people are trying to figure out the disparity of sentences , that’s what a lot of people are upset about and it makes people draw conclusions that make this even more traumatic. Yes he should go to jail , but 110 years you get less time then that for rape robbery and kidnapping. Cop here in Vegas killed his own best friend in a DUI, was allowed to bond out and return to Connecticut, WR here on the Raiders Driving over 131 miles per hour killed and the poor girl and her dog burned to death. I can’t even drive by the area her and her dog died at. He bonded out 100k cash . Had that been my son, please. Yes , jail, 110 years , no!
@@natekeyes2297 I have been a victim of horrific crime , my nephew was shot several times and his friend shot in the face and killed and 5 years later we are still waiting to go to court. Mind you we lived in a very good area, my nephew was 18 at the time, his friend had gotten a scholarship to play baseball. I too was kidnapped from a street many year ago and the guy not only had served 17 years for a homicide , at 30 something years of age but he had been been arrested that week for beating up ladies in the street. I will carry the traumas for life , he got another 17 and got out. I know about it but 110 years , that’s excessive.
@@mariaaspeed4888 You have had so many tragic experiences with crime and injustice. I am so sorry you have had to go through that. You seem like a very strong person. I hope you find peace and healing.
@@mariaaspeed4888 the sentence is due to mandatory sentences and sentences having to be consecutive. There's no people involved with it.
I’ve been a trucker for 13 years. What I think happened was he tried to shift back into a gear while the engine brake was on, making the rpms drop faster than he could match it. That makes it almost impossible to shift it back into gear.
Stupid question, but why don’t the trucks have automatic transmission? Admittedly I drive a SUV and I often head into mountains (I live in a valley in the cascades) and whenever I go in a long down hill I use the automatic transmission to downshift (basically click a button to shift gear) and use engine brake. Wouldn’t an automatic transmission mitigate a lot of these skill issues?
@@artruisjoew5473 I could be wrong but with so much weight and torque I think an automatic would be unreliable and thus such meticulous shifts at the right time would require the human element??
Most old trucks do not have an automatic transmission. Some older trucks don't even have compression brakes. I drive a truck without either so I just have to be very careful that I pick the proper low gear before I go down a hill.
@@artruisjoew5473 most newer truck have automatics. And yes it’s way easier to operate if you’re a beginner. But it does have enough faults that I prefer a manual transmission. Computers in semis just don’t react or shift as fast as I can.
No, he just wanted to get down the hill fast, that’s how breaks get burned out is trying to stop after you realize your losing control
As a former CDL driver, most people don't realize that EVERY penalty is stiffer for us, even if we're doing it in our personal vehicle. In my state, if I get charged with DUI while operating my personal vehicle, my CDL will get suspended for a year. If I do it a second time, my CDL is suspended for life. CDL holders are the only professional drivers on the road, and we're expected to behave as such. I don't know how this guy was trained, but I drove all over the country with a trainer for several weeks before being cut loose to drive by myself.
I mean…should it not be? If you’re a CDL driver and you’re driving your personal car drunk why would anyone trust you to drive a semi? No hate, just curious if you were not a CDL driver what would your opinion be?
@@anijiawells123 they used dui… but it’s the same for stupid offenses like wearing a seatbelt. And even in our personal cars, points on your license travel across state lines. If I get a seatbelt ticket in the state south of me, it goes on my license…. If I didn’t have a CDL, it wouldn’t.
@@highheatmikey thank you for the reply! Much better example than DUI, I understand now. They are Very strict on y’all but thank you for everything you do
I was trained for ten days and cut lose its a miracle I didn’t kill somebody.. still driving to this day no accidents no tickets 17 years later.
He was trained by those CDL Facebook groups where you can easily get the answers to the tests
Dr. Grande, this happened two miles from my house. It was catastrophic. I've traveled this portion of highway hundreds of times, in my car. Anyone who has knows this was an accident.
I don't think that this was 100% preventable. Let me explain a few things: from the Eisenhower Tunnel to where he crashed at Denver West, there is only one runaway truck ramp going west. About ten miles before that is the steepest descent, starting at Idaho Springs. It begins with a 90° turn, then goes down hill. Living here my entire life, I've seen many trucks with their brakes on fire, and smelled the burning brakes thousands of times. After you pass Evergreen, I70 is two tight lanes, with a curbside that is probably 1/4 width of a car, next to that is a guardrail, with steep mountainside on the other side of that. When these Lanes tighten, the roadway becomes increasingly curvy. With traffic, I believe this was a Friday night, during rush hour, it's impossible to change Lanes. From where the signs are for the runaway truck ramp to where the entrance is, he may not have been able to cut across the Lanes to use it. Now there is significant roadside at the end of the runaway ramp where the other truck was parked, I assume. Following that, there is another 90° turn and it is straight downhill again, there is an immediate exit for Morrison, which he wouldn't have been able to take had he not been able to use the ramp or pull off. Then highway access to C470, and 6th Ave, both highways that would have certainly had traffic stopped on the ramp, Colfax is immediately after 6th Ave, maybe an 1/8 mile if Im being generous. Then Denver West, where the accident occured, then, one mile later, at Highway 58, another 90° turn over Ward Road, this is one of the top ten spots for accidents in the entire state. This is undoubtedly where the accident was that had the traffic stopped. Listening to your analysis, I am certain of two things: one, this 70 year old stretch of roadway is in dire need of modernization, two, mandatory minimum sentences, created by legislators and expected to apply to situations with a wide range of mitigating factors, are inappropriate and unfair. Judges who hear the case should be able to use their own discretion when sentencing offenders, after all isn't that what the definition of justice is?
Rally is next week and I will be in attendance. Thank you for creating this video.
Thank you for this important information.
I believe that his company should not have assigned that route to a driver without mountain experience, or at least significant training.
It might not be 100% preventable. But it could have been avoided. I thought the sentence was too harsh--- UNTIL I hear his reaction. No remorse and no responsibility. I ,couldn't believe it. I'm glad the judge threw the book at him. Hope he rots.
@@Tina06019 I've driven this stretch of road hundreds of times, in a car. It's scary. People die here ALL the time, my own Grandfather did years ago. The people responsible for those accidents usually get traffic tickets, albeit harsh ones, but never this.
I'm retired with more than 2 million safe miles and have run the mountains countless times. This sort of accident is 100% preventable... in my opinion.
@@haggis525 thank you. I agree with you. It's great to have the opinion of someone with ACTUAL experience driving. I live in Houston and I am Hispanic. Pretty much every single person I know is posting things on social media asking for him to get off. But looking at the facts of what happened. I just can't help but think this was 100% avoidable and he needed harsh punishment. I can't understand why he would even fight this in court.
From what I've seen personally, so many drivers, particularly new ones, dont realise how much responsibility they hold in their hands every time they go out. As usual, great analysis Dr. Grande. Merry Christmas.
I appreciate how this video breaks down the complexities of the situation beyond the easily shareable narrative of “Trucker’s breaks fail causing a crash, and he gets sentenced to 100 years”
Many of the facts are unfortunately inaccurate. The WaPo has a great analysis of the event and I’m not a fan of them in general.
@@chrisperez3614 Yeah, I normally like Grande vids, but he makes a ton of assumptions here.
He is reporting based off of court details but even then some of his statements are wrong. Also he doesn't appear to have personal knowledge of the route that was traveled or that he was supposed to have been on a totally different route with different terrain. You would have to know the mountain portion of highway compared to the final few miles of highway where the terrain is flat plains as he approached the collision site. There was over 1 hour of driving time between his stop for a brake check, because he thought something might be wrong, and the collision site. The entire route for his final hour was loaded with operunities where he could have taken his truck off the road in some form of controlled crash scenerio and at limited risk to only himself. The fact he chose not to make this effort is why many in CO take exception to what transpired that day.
I think more blame should be put on the trucking company that hired him. Otherwise, great analysis, Doc.
Agree, surely they have responsibility for ensuring a driver is competent to undertake the task he is hired for.
Not so much blame....only speculation.
WTF!?!?!? ARE YOU SERIOUS?! HE WAS DRIVING! HE KILLED PEOPLE! I live here man! He is a coward! He could have killed himself and saved many lives, but being the narcissist that he is he could bring himself to do that. LOSER! DESERVERS 200YEARS! He didnt even show any empathy for the ones he killed after this happened. He had NO RESPECT for these mountains!
100%
Makes you think about all the trucks you share the road with and if they’re all qualified to be driving them. I already try to avoid tractor trailers as much as possible on the road. I hate being next to them.
I agree. I'm a career trucker from colorado. I never use my brakes on these grades. I believe he could not read english. He was never trained to adjust brakes or how to descend grades. The trucking company is more at fault. They will put any body in the seat.
I think you are right. If he blew past those two runaway lanes, which are clearly marked, he probably had no idea what the signs read.
@@The_ScapeGoat sounds like you really hate foreigners. How unfortunate for you.
That's very much possible,but how did he pass his CDL exams if he couldn't read English I wonder? I wonder if he took it in Spanish, if that's the case then the road signs need to be in multiple languages.
@@asha1762 Many trucking schools don't care, They just hand you your certificate when you pay$$$. Anyone can open a school and hand out licenses the way it is currently set up.
@@yennyku5240 how is that hating foreigners?
Look at your phone and all your apps, you don’t need to read anything to know what sign leads where. I see the white box with a red square and a sideways triangle I know that leads to A place to watch videos (CZcams). If I see a blue box with a white bird I know it leads to a message board (Twitter).
A person does not need to learn the entire language, but if they want to be a professional driver then they have to learn associate the symbols on the road signs with whatever they lead to. If his excuse is that he didn’t know what the road signs meant then he shouldn’t have been a professional driver. If a doctor gave you poison instead of medicine and his excuse was that he couldn’t read the label on the bottle would that in anyway mitigate his malpractice?
Im really impressed about how much knowledge Dr know about trucking mechanisms .
I’ve been a CDL driver 33 years and your description of how truck operate mechanically is accurate. IMO the first responsibility for this scenario was the company that employed him. My second run as a solo driver was up and over Monarch Pass in Colorado. 13,000 plus feet. My employer pulled me aside and explained how to do this safely. He said to keep dropping speed and gears until the engine brake could hold the truck by itself. If I needed the air brakes AT ALL I was going too fast! He explained how the brakes would get hot, start small kind and quit working altogether. He also said that would happen very fast.
When I got to the top and started downhill I knew exactly what to do to stay safe.
This incident is a major failure of both the trucking school and the company. Yes, after he found himself in the spot he was in he would have felt the brakes fading and that alone should have alerted him to the danger he was in.
Also the off ramps could have avoided this catastrophe.
My God even if it would of put me at risk I would of used the run away truck ramp. Although I would of NEVER EVER let MY TRUCK OUT OF LOW GEAR. He is responsible period. Very very very sad.
Great analysis! As a Coloradan who has driven that road in a car for decades, it's clear he didn't know what the heck he was doing and he did himself no favors with his behavior before and after the tragedy. BUT, 110 years is shocking and much more than some of the worst criminals in the state get. Civil suits should follow against the company as well.
Civil suit for what . It was an accident
@@Charmander009 for sending an inexperienced driver over some of the most difficult trucking terrain in the country...
Well said.
@@Charmander009 Accidents are what civil suits are for.
He was offered a plea but declined it and chose going to trial
Dr. Grande you have an excellent grasp of the operation of a tractor trailer with air brakes. In this case, I believe the man was not so much reckless but sorely inexperienced. By the time he was fully aware of the situation, he was out of control. Brakes didn't work, and was he using his Jake brakes? The sentence was too much. In Canada an inexperienced semi driver blew past a stop sign in the country and killed many young hockey players travelling in a bus. He got eight years. He now faces deportation back to his home country.
The sentence of eight years sounds about right. Dr Grande suggesting that he should have "sacrificed himself" is unrealistic. I believe he tried to minimise the damage by knocking into something equally big; I think he thought he may be killed and hoped that knocking into something big would hopefully not harm him or anyone else any more than the other alternatives which he could envisage at the time. It sounds like he had inadequate training and I expect that he was under pressure to do everything in as quick a space of time as possible. Of course it's tragic that those who then ran into the back of him died but he did not set out to kill anyone or to have such an accident. They should have given him proper training and not set impossible targets, like I know most companies do from experience.
Inexperienced or not, once a person sits behind the wheel it is only his/hers responsibility. For some people ( like the case you mentioned ) it is indeed better they never even try to drive vehicle.
Who hired him? Who TRAINED him???
The driver has to be aware he is approaching a steep grade with a maxed out load.......he has to set up at the top .....that is select his gear for the descent......half way down and going too fast that has become impossible....gear selection is all a driver has to control the descent......brakes fade in a few seconds.....this driver sounds a bit arrogant and not very bright....a deadly combination.
Inexperience as a truck driver can cause horrible death such as this incident. Not a good excuse
It's easy to sit outside and look in, thinking of oneself as selfless and courageous, but in the heat of the moment I wonder how many people would actually stop and think of anyone other than oneself. Panic is a real thing.
Yes, and he was only 23. I believe the punishment was way too harsh
What you are failing to realize is he was driving recklessly hours before the accident. 4 human beings are no longer on the planet because of his selfishness. I think the Dr got it right-25 years.
Facts. That's exactly how I see it. Its so easy to criticize ones decisions during a state of panic while they sit safely in the comfort of their own home.
Nobody knows what they'll actually do on a second to second basis during a situation as intense as this.
1, Lack of training. 2, Bad equipment 3. Fear 4, First time in mountains. A bad combination. It takes years to learn driving big trucks in the mountains and always have an escape plan if things go bad. I hate to say Dr. Grande but it is extremely unlikely the driver would see or smell brakes that would be wafting behind you at speed. It is common to miss a gear and without the skill to recover you just cannot get in back in gear. But the sentence is ridiculous.
And the Jake brake/engine retarder only works if you are in gear.
There is a factor also that if a trucker uses a runaway ramp there are consequences so it could create the idea "I'll just try to solve it myself" and then this happens. Please use the ramps.
@Joe S exactly. Not to mention penalties against their CDL, citations. It's a disincentive to do what's right.
Yeah, the damage to the vehicle, the fines, the towing fees, and the inevitable backlash from an employer act as incentives for drivers to try and risk it all and avoid the ramps.
@Joe S He did reach flat land and still made no efforts to get off the road or avoid collision.
That's well and good and it's obvious he thought he would but sometimes you gotta take the L. The ramps are meant to be your last ditch effort to avoid....well this.
Yeah that's a huge consideration that not enough people are paying attention to. There should NEVER be penalties for making use of safety implementations/infrastructure. When money and criminal penalties stand in opposition to safety, the latter will ALWAYS lose, and people WILL die. Such a simple lesson - when will we as a society finally learn it?
I drove for 8 years.
Rule #1: Configure the truck before you go down hill. 45 mph? 6th, 7th or 8th gear, full engine brake (depending haul and grade).
If the truck isn't in gear, you become an 80,000lbs, 63 foot, unguided missle!
I learned something from this video. Having never driven a big rig myself, I had wondered why there are laws (including in my own state, Indiana, which is not mountainous) against going into "Georgia overdrive" because I was thinking of it in terms of my own experiences in driving a POV. Although I knew that letting a big truck get up to a high speed could be dangerous, I didn't realize that there was the added danger of not being able to get back into gear due to the lack of gear synchronization. I appreciate the technical data because I think that when laypeople start opining on things like this we at least need to get ourselves up to a basic level of understanding of the equipment involved.
this is the correct way shift down at the top of the hil
I can't express the gratitude that I have for your analysis on this. I am watching people try to raise money to get this man out of prison, I am watching people sign petitions to try to get this man a lighter sentence. Some even saying that he should just get probation it wasn't his fault. It just baffles me. Anyway thank you
They reduced it thank God, he will be out in 10 years, maybe even 5.
@@josiahswenson5255 No. He will DIE, before that happens. In prison.
@@ms.elegant4571 huh? Dude he’s not a serial killer. Accidents happen. He’s not going to die. Don’t be sick.
One thing I absolutely love about your channel is the research you do into things like the precise operation of a specific firearm, or how to brake and control a tractor down a steep grade. If I hadn't heard ALL of that, yeah, I'd be convinced the sentence was insane, because I, a car driver, would have very little idea what to do. I've never even relied on a manual transmission - there's so much I don't know. And once I knew all of it, yeah, you're right. He DID screw up SO horribly, in ways that he COULD have prevented it.
I’m so old that when I took my CDL classes back when Henry Ford sold you the vehicle, I was taught to drive the out of control truck off the road if the only choice was your death or the driving public.
Awesome, got any crazy stories from the road?
This is SO SAD. I could cry for everyone involved, including the driver.
Sad my ass. It was horrific, an act of murder committed by a careless, stupid and self-centered jerk. Cry for him if you want to.
@@natekeyes2297 I'm sad for you too... holding anger like that.....it's a terrible way to spend your time here.
Sarah, no need to cry for the inexperienced truck driver. He should’ve told his boss that he wasn’t experienced in driving on steep grades. There are too many things this guy could’ve done to avoid this horrific outcome. One was to actually learn from an experienced truck driver on how to maneuver on steep grades. If that wasn’t possible one needs to find a school to teach you that. It’s really common sense. I agree with Dr Grande that he should spend 20 to 30 years in prison for his recklessness!
If i was a family member of the deceased id be happy but maybe the brakes failed
@@jenjencannon3224 Awwwww! That's so sweet! You're sad for me and I didn't even kill and maim a bunch of people. You are so right! Just because he smashed people into hamburger and smeared blood all over the highway, that's no reason to have angry feelings towards him. I'm all choked up now. This February I'll send poor Rogel a valentine. You can send the flowers.
I think you are right and I'm really impressed how you did accurate research on the functions of a semi-tractor trailer. It is spot on. Usually, even before the grade, you slow way down and put the transmission in 8th gear with the jake brake on with both hands on the steering wheel. Keeping the rig under 45 mph. If it begins to get away from you, you immediately stab brake and get the equipment down to around 37 mph. Thus gaining the advantage over the equipment and load. Choosing a different gear if needed. You never free wheel and never let other motorist push you, so to speak. Ever. The goal is to safely maneuver the load and equipment to the bottom of the mountain. Stab braking grabs hold of the equipment and gets it under control while not over heating the trailer brakes. But if a driver runs flat out from the top they are already in deep trouble. Because once the vehicle is controlling you and gravity takes over then sometimes friction will not be enough to safely control or stop the equipment. You always pull the trailer. The trailer should not ever be pushing your tractor. But he was inexperienced and why he didn't just run her up a runaway truck ramp i have no idea. How he survived, I have no idea. None. One charge i think was wrong, was intentional assault. That's a stretch. Stupidity and panic isn't intentional. It was clearly an accident. 110 years bespeaks to how ridiculous our justice system is. Remember everyone, you are on your own in this life. You really are. You have to be very cautious about choices and decisions that you make. No one is coming to save you. You don't just say, well fuck it, the brakes are gone think I'll crash now. I will admit 60 miles is a very long mountain. That's why they call it work and not joy riding. And you are a professional operator of very very dangerous equipment. I myself used to haul tandem trailers through mountains in the snow and I had a healthy respect for everything in that situation and if it got really bad i would frequently pull over to take breaks and calm my nerves. Check the ice on the roadway even. One mistake is all it takes to change a life or destroy one. It's real work at the end of the day trying to get goods to their destinations. It can be very dangerous and nerve racking. Operating any motor vehicle is a serious business. Many die attempting it. I'm sorry for all involved here. I know what it's like to lose a loved one to a senseless motor vehicle accident. It ruins your life. So be safe and proffer out there, everyone.
This is my area and I've driven that stretch many times. It is extremely well marked with 'steep grade' signage all the way down the 60-miles and the runaway lane is clearly marked, as well. I remember the first time we took a relative from Wisconsin/Illinois up to the mountains and on the way home, he sat in the back howling with laughter at the 'exaggerations' on the signs and the 'scare tactics' and found the runaway lane to be 'hysterical.' As if on cue, we were passed by an out of control semi maneuvering to get into the lane and watched the driver struggle to bring it to a stop after hundreds of feet. We had a very quiet, very pale relative in the back seat for the rest of the ride home. To be honest - 'flatlanders' don't know how to drive in the mountains. They need instruction, experience and maturity to respect the geography.
Preach it, brother!
I visited Colorado once and remember feeling like a fish out of water. I was going probably below speed limit and everyone else was driving freely like on flatland. It astonished me how they could do it and I “stayed in my lane” so to speak.
No you’re wrong this is my area too and those ramps are easy to miss when you’re distracted because you’re trying to avoid other dumbass drivers in Colorado
As a driver that’s actually just leaving Denver at the present (load to Phoenix) you just read my mind! Lol, as you well know many of those types of drivers are psychopaths with death wishes
Thank you for the facts!
He has the facts right but that’s about it. I have 20 year experience gone through those mountains many times. He’s judging this man an he maybe has only driven a pick up truck. Lumber loads are not easy, they max those loads. He just wasn’t experienced enough to be in those mountains , with the load he had. The public should worry companies don’t care if drivers have zero experience, they just want those wheels to roll. Sadly people get into accidents. The company also had lots off violations, his truck did not look new at all. I watch the video and did not see him smoking the brakes like the doc insinuated. I would add once you get out of gear and the truck gets going it’s difficult to get back in gear. Probably impossible for him with his experience
I like your analysis. I like people who can look at a situation and judge it accordingly. I believe it's a tragedy but to give him 110 years for being inexperienced is insane.
Then he shouldn't have lied to his employer that he had mountain driving experience.
"trucks didn't look new at all"
ah yes, a 5 truck, small company should just buy new vehicles, not expensive at all.
We sometimes forget this companies, on top of being small, are having troubles with covi restrictions, highly experienced drivers are quitting and inflation going through the roof.
What would the newness of the truck have to do with anything? Is the age of his truck somehow supposed to be at fault? The overwhelming majority of trucks get down that same stretch of highway without incident, and plenty of them are far from new. If you have a working transmission and Jake brake, why wouldn't you be able to get down safely? This sounds like a case of operator error rather than equipment failure, not to mention gross negligence when he failed to use the runaway truck lanes.
What's the video you referenced, though? I'd be interested in watching it, too.
I don't think experience was a factor, even fresh out of the CDL mill I knew better than to bypass a runaway truck ramp if my brakes were smoked and I couldn't get it back into gear. moreover I understood that I should take my chances with the median instead of plowing into other vehicles.
" Sacrificing" yourself is easier said than done. None of us can say what we would have done in that situation. He was inexperienced so no, he definitely doesn't deserve 110 years. We have seen drunk drivers kill people and get way less when they deserved life in prison or death.
@@islandlife756 unfortunately we're not all privileged enough to decline a job because the employer doesn't want to train us.
Yes! I agree with BOTH the above comments and that is part of the problem! If We are well enough off We don't take the job! But if We are desperate maybe We do!
@@asha1762 exactly
@@S489_20mg We aren't discussing what cops do. Take your soapbox to an appropriate thread. Way off topic.
I can honestly say that I would do my best not to kill anyone else, as much as I may fear for my own safety. Living with the guilt of having taken 4 lives, or 110 yrs in prison, is no life at all, IMHO, so I would have picked a bridge abutment or any other stationary object over a vehicle of any kind.
If I may die either way, why would I want to involve anybody else? It's not necessarily going to save me to kill someone else, though it did in his case (for what it's worth)..
This brought back memories of our trip to Colorado and following a semi up a steep hill/mountain. There were no guardrails and it was just a long drop-off on the passenger side of the road. The semi was going at a high speed and half of his back outer tire kept going completely off the road. It had to be the scariest thing for me to watch as a passenger in the car behind him.
@@islandlife756 Very smart I do that also...Though sometimes slowing down and pulling over is dangerous too. it really depends on the situation.
Yes! Taking oneself OUT of the situation in the safest manner! But also maybe calling the cops (often overworked and expected to work miracles or not the right personality type for the job!)!
Can't have been going that fast if it was up a steep hill.
Well done Carol L. When I get an uncomfortable feeling about a driver near me, I try to distance myself away from him as quickly as possible. If he causes a problem, I don't want to be anywhere near him. Let him (usually a him) get ahead of you and out of your life. Good time to stop for a coffee and a rest break.
When I was a little guy, riding in the back of my dads Monte Calo, he took a sharp turn into a business, and the car stalled halfway into the parking lot entrance, leaving just the back half of the car with me in it staring dead at an oncoming semi truck. My dad unconcerned trying to start the engine, me staring at this thing coming at me, mouth agape, wondering if I should get out and run, just frozen muttering "uh, uh, uh,". Truck finally finally hits, barely does any damage. Here's the kicker though, and this wasn't my opinion this was ruled by insurance, and court, or whatever body responsible for it dictated; the truck driver purposefully crashed into us to get some time off. And he was fired because he apparently had done this repeatedly in the past. I thought I was dead though, I didn't really have any understanding of physics then, or how fast was too fast, I just saw a big ass truck coming at me and scenes from Spielberg's Duel movie flashed in my head. Everyone was fine though, minus two cars, and a job.
I agree with you Dr. Grande. I think 25 years would have been okay. He was reckless. Why didn't he just get off the freeway on the truck ramp. I feel his deep sorrow for what happened and how horrible he feels for the families of the injured deceased. Just that kind of personal accountability is VERY HARD TO FIND in today's world. Everyone's always blaming others or blaming things...... I think 25 with less for good behavior is appropriate. It's a sad story all around.
He would probably have lost his job. And who knows what other fines , etc. So dumb. They should be in jail for not training properly
Dr. Grande, just where does the trucking company that employed him fall into this? Or whomever trained him and deemed it okay to send an apparently too inexperienced driver on such a route? I see virtually no meaningful discussion about their own culpability here. One hundred and ten years is excessively punitive, and the driver carries the weight. He was not the only one at fault here.
I know he was working out of Houston tx. Most likely he was an independent contractor. This will excuse the main company from much if not of all fault. Even if he was a regular employee of the company (doubt it), the company has gone out of business.
Austin thats exactly what I was thinking
It was changed to 10 years in prison.
He AND the company are totally responsible for this horrific carnage. The owner of the company should be doing jail time as well.
It was an accident. They can be sued though
Yea civilly they can be held liable, but criminally there’s nothing to charge them with.
I'm sure the company has many legal protections.
Why are they liable? They hired a guy with the appropriate license and provided a safe truck.
@@QuasiELVIS no it wasnt a safe truckvumm the breaks gave out everything can go well during a pre-trip inspection anything can happen after that
I have 32 years in the trucking industry, 12 of it as a training and safety director for a large (400) power units)
west coast company (lots of steep mountains). This is so messed up on so many levels. Brake adjustment are the driver's responsibility and you MUST know how to do it. The company MUST insure that a driver has that knowledge. Mountain driving in a truck takes lots of actual training in an actual truck, with a trainer, under real world conditions, He got none of that. The company is required to train their drivers. Wrong driver trying doing a job he had no business doing. They both should have known better, his company is just as responsible as the driver, but apparently not as accountable. Prison, yes, a 110 years, nope.
Most big companies won’t allow drivers to do any mechanical adjustments to their rigs. All you can do is say it’s out of adjustment and have to get a certified mechanic to readjust.
@@BeastMode69G How the hell can you be a truck driver and not adjust your own brakes, makes no sense to me. I am glad I'm done
Shooting him in the head is less cruel than him sitting in a cell with a new husband for years on end. His punishment is the pain on his soul.
Life is precious.
He supposely lied about his driving experience to get this job with the company in the first place and lied after about having experience on 70 to the police after the accident.
@@miamiwax5504 By federal law the hiring company must get a 10 year job history. A driver has to account for all gaps in Employment for the last 10 years. Lying shouldn't have done him any good. The Employer owns a piece of this.
Always appreciate your factual, non-sensationalized presentations of cases.
I love how active your channel is when it comes to current "weird" cases.
18 wheels and whaddya get? 110 years older and deeper in debt.
He clearly had insufficient training for the job he was doing. I think what does not make him a sympathetic defendant is the fact he felt he did nothing wrong and only deserved a traffic ticket. His extreme position probably was incomprehensible to the legal people involved. To take zero responsibility in a tragedy of this magnitude indicates an almost complete lack of insight into the gravity of the accident and the devastating circumstances it created. He also lacked insight in that he made no real attempt to mitigate danger to others. He called about the brakes, but did nothing to address the problem. He could have pulled over, but for unknown reasons, he didn't. He had a lack of experience with this set of geographical conditions, it was not taken into account. The long sentence is overdone in terms of the amount of years, but I think people have a difficult time maybe of feeling sorry for him because of his indifference. Great, Dr. Grande. Great analysis.
I agree with you. He knew the brakes were bad and put his own monetary welfare above others. It's negligent homicide. The saying I only deserve a ticket just put hom in prison for life.
Instead of taking himself out off road He decided to use the cars as a buffer for the to crash to save himself.
It's hard to defend that in court.
lacking courage, while certainly a vile behavior, is not usually a criminal offense. I mean I guess if you go AWOL during war, it's a military crime. That he lacked the 'courage' to do something to avert possible further deaths (which is simple not knowable in his situation to begin with) is not what he was on trial for. He made a series of mistakes that led to a landslide of tragic consequences. Most of his charges, like vehicular assault, etc, are just pure Bullshit American justice system making up crimes or using ones too widely defined.
Part of the response to him is because those who are familiar with the highway question why he took no actions between where he noticed brake issues and collision site which are and hour apart from each other. This begs the question, why didn't he take other steps or alternatives long before reaching the collision site? The other issue is he made a conscious choice to steer towards 3 lanes of cars trapped under an overpass. Most people cannot conceive of making such a choice to place your own life at greater value than unknown countless others. With the understanding that your vehicle will certainly kill those in your path.
I'm impressed with your knowledge on trucks. You explain how they work with better vocabulary an grammar than I do.
You always offer fairness and clarity. You are always a breath of fresh air. 🙏
This situation scares the pants off of me. I have nightmares where I am on the WV turnpike and I'm either driving off of the mountain, or a semi is coming down one of those ramps after a failed stopping attempt and it just....
Full body chills.
I don't believe he should be in prison for the rest of his life.
@@fightevil.readbooks.5076 Thank you, me too. I haven't been on that turnpike in over a decade, and never had an issue while driving on it. Lol dunno why it happens.
I drive that route once a year to see my family. It gives me major anxiety. 😬
The WV turnpike has some scary stretches, I agree. Knoxville, Tennesee, sits atop a mountain with lots of steep scary turns. Thankfully, I now reside in an area where the highest point is an anthill.
I am originally from WV and now live in the state of TN. That stretch between Beckley, WV and Bluefield has some scary spots.
Employers need to be held responsible for training.
And also testing if a candidate has the experience he says he has!
I have a question tho. If the person has a license that means that he knew how to drive the truck. Correct me if I am wrong I don't know. Just asking.
It seems clear that the company management is crap, they victims family should sue that company to bankruptcy.
@Joe S what were the lies?
@Joe S he was a twenty year old immigrant. How much experience could he have had? Even more reason to hole the trucking company responsible.
When 4 people got killed due to your action, whether it's purposeful or not, you are offered a plea deal, take it.
Can't believe he thought a ticket was enough
Wait what? I had no idea about the plea deal. What were they offering him?
@@Nall412 20 years.
yet a white nurse got 2 years for her negligent homicide. and nurses everywhere are holloring about it.
Dr G. either knows a butt ton about trucks or did some quality homework. both are cool
Great explanation on the mechanism of the brake and your explanation resembles my relatives' (who are professional CDL-A drivers and they've been working for over 2 decades *safely*) explanation on what they thought happened during Aguilera-Mederos descending. They thought Aguilera-Mederos was a reckless and inexperienced driver, but they thought the sentence was excessive--as for example some murderers and even child molesters got lighter sentence.
For as sad and scary as this analysis was, I was really intrigued by all of it. And hearing from truck drivers in the comments is eye opening. I always try to stay extra mindful around trucks on the highway. They deal with lots of stuff and if I can make their trek easier, I try to. But yes, the sentence was unfair. I'm a forensic social worker and just last month a guy I saw for an assessment was sentenced to just 25 years for stabbing his girlfriend to death. I mean wtf. Sad and wrong and scary all around. Give us some good news for the Christmas week, doc! Oh, and Harm Reduction just came in the mail today!!!!!!
Grande isn’t even a doctor. Just unsubscribe this pos who had supported Rottenhouse but not this driver. He is another racist pos.
@@eza_ahm We know who the racist pos in this thread is.
@@eza_ahm I don’t think he necessarily supported him…do you understand facts?
@@eza_ahm I see your point.... Todd sure has an extreme view in terms of sentencing and has some funny perspectives ... he sure loves his guns 🔫
@@eza_ahm you're being silly lol.
I was a truck driver for seven years. Let's say that the gross weight of the truck was 70K and the drop was 5500ft. That is 385,000,000 ft pounds of energy to dump with an engine brake and a set of drums made of pig iron while avoiding drivers who are angry at your slow moving truck. You can never tell if a truck driver knows what he/she is doing or if it's their first week on the job. Please please please turn off the distractions and ignore your screaming kids and take your defensive driving game to the life and death level it has to be at when a guy like this shows up in your mirror. Legal responsibility, road rage, a lawyer on speed dial, and whatever God you believe in all add up to not being able to get rid of one ft pound of energy coming down a hill. Please be safe and make it home to the people who love you.
13:20 For all you truckers risking your life for meager pay Which oddly enough keeps decreasing year by year when the need for truckers is rising.
Lack of quality equipment and no home time or family time this is what you're gonna get hit with in a court of law.
- Never put your family or anybody else's life in danger because of greedy I'll equipped trucking company and their low ball mileage pay. Driving a truck is a dangerous job and requires a skilled person . However I see many times trucking companies pulling people off the street filling their head with fake hopes of big money and false promises and giving them quick poor quality training.
Get proper training and never allow these companies to push you into a situation like this.These companies will wash their hands of you and they're the ones that are creating the dangerous situations .
I am a truck driver. Your understanding of truck systems is spot on. Nice job 👍
Definitely doesn't deserve 110 yrs but does deserve time in prison. He passed multiple runaway truck ramps. I live near where this happened and it hit deep
One of the victims gave his wife his wedding ring to hold onto the day he died in the crash.......
To be clear he gave her his wedding ring because he lost weight and the ring was sliding off so he wanted her to hang onto it until he got it resized
@@islandlife756 wow, might as well release him with how light of a sentence you recommended. He should never see the light of day again. Personally I'd argue for the death penalty but that's just me.
@F. Aduke Femi-Babalola Just like the driver
Why would anyone INTENTIONALLY miss a runaway ramp twice. There is one reason only, BEING OVERWHELMED IN A PANIC AS A THREATENING SITUATION IS UNFOLDING.
@@89ksokd91 A truck driver made the point going into one of these ramps is VERY expensive both for the driver and the company.. You need a specialist vehicle to tow you out damages occur and the cops will arrive and want the vehicle inspected and all these delays cost money.. He knows drivers who've avoided them for these reasons hoping they can get it back under control and save the expense and hassle.. So yeah drivers do intentionally avoid them sometimes..
I could see maybe 15-20 yrs with the possibility of parole in 10. But, he wasn't drunk or under the influence or texting this seems like a excessive amount of time.
I think he's a young kid and completely panicked
I've traveled this area thousands of times in my life. It is very deceptive and even when you think you're at the bottom to you still are going downhill. Driving the section where this happened 85 mph in a normal car is challenging, doing it in a semi truck would lead to severe panic and tunnel vision. There is lots pf signage for the ramps but I could see how in panic you could freeze up. He made mistakes but lack of training is clearly a factor. I think the charges and sentencing were highly influenced by community sentiment and politics. Also, there is zero enforcement of the reduced truck speed limit in this area. Very tragic for the victims but I don't think all the blame lies with him.
There is plenty of You Tube Footage of the I-70 tunnel and decent from dash cams. He should have also practiced the route from You Tube before ever trying in a semi. Better yet, as you note drive it himself first. Only fools rush in without due diligence.
Agreed. Well said.
@@hawthorneantilles6755
Most people are all or nothing but that's the nature of "leading with emotions".
I drove for CRST and we were not permitted on I 70 west of Denver.
Coloradoan here - the judge stated very clearly that he lacked any discretion in the imposition of the sentences, which were dictated by law NOT community sentiment or politics. Next people will be claiming it was racist.
It sounds like his lack of experience and knowledge is what did him in. Under panic conditions he could have lost control of his ability to think and plan a way to save himself and everyone else. If he had no actual experience with long steep downhill situations, he may have never had experience with brake fade.
I don't think the sentence should be so severe
Absolutely agree!
Life in prison is not appropriate here.
The judge sad he was following the law.
Lack of experience is not an excuse. He shouldn't have been driving a mountainous route without being adequately prepared.
Exactly Christopher. I watched a video of this driver as he careened around other trucks in the right lane. One was owing two 53 foot trailers and he was chugging along at a safe speed using his engine brakes (Jake brakes) to maintain a safe speed. Takes longer to go down the hill, and not nearly as exciting, but arriving safely with your load intact is key.
Many truckers are now actively boycotting the state of Colorado for this sentence and refusing to deliver there. I'm not sure what percentage of drivers are taking part in this boycott, but it will certainly exacerbate logistics and delays for getting products into that state.
@Lilman Yellow If they’re independent contractors, there are plenty of other places that they can deliver to
Not true. There is no coordinated boycott.
@@cromanxx1 Never said coordinated. Read posts before commenting. It is a fact though that some hundreds of drivers have already ceased accepting delivers to or from Colorado.
I’ve heard truckers are not unified since the pay has increased and they’re still taking the jobs
If you're talking about the helicopter footage, many truckers have denounced that story. The trucks lined up were stopped for high winds. Not sure of the truth but just thought I would put that out there in case anyone else can confirm or deny.
I signed the petition for him. That is ridiculous that they gave him LIFE FOR AN ACCIDENT.
The fact that he was 23 at the time seems to be part of the problem. He certainly didn't have the maturity or experience for this kind of driving situation.
I started driving trucks at 21. Only stopped because I got tired of the lifestyle. It's not his age, it's his lack of training. When I started driving, I had to go out with a trainer for 5 weeks. I had to go down two major mountain grades during that time.
18 year olds are dying for our country in the military, a 23 year old should be competent enough to drive a fucking truck
@@lefish5277 100% agreed
I don’t like riding in cars with young guys in their teens and 20’s (when they are the driver) because they always speed.
I guess you weren't mature at that age Carolyn but I was like super duper mature at 23. To bad not everyone can be like me because I'm really really super duper double mature all day everyday since I was 3 and a half.
Wait so he had a CDL and didn‘t know what a runaway truck ramp is?
Don't you have to learn these things to get your CDL? 🤔
Like Reuben the Bohemian Cowboy said (40+ years driving) you can take a truck down a mountain too slow many times, too fast only once.
That's completely outrageous this is a civil case at best. Brake failure is a mechanical issue not reckless driving. Their were people who done far worse and got house arrest. What did they do look at his last name?
He knew his brakes were failing. He knew. If you listen the sentences were mandatory not made up on the spot. So he should get a pass because some other asshole did? I'm pretty sure they looked at the carnage, the fact he thought he should just get a ticket and the fact he sat in his truck and offered no help to any of his victims.
This reminds me of the Humboldt bus tragedy in Saskatchewan. An inexperienced truck driver that made a terrible human error that resulted in the loss of human life. Admittedly the driver in Canada knew the terrible mistake he made and admitted to all charges, so there wasn't a trial.
I thought of that accident too. (I live in Calgary)
I feel the 8 years was harsh in this case. He was remorseful. I feel this level of distraction and missing many signs to stop could still happen to many innocent people. A glance out the window, a sneeze, something in your eye, monitoring the tarps, checking gauges. It's not a crime if many of these natural things happened at each sign, which is possible. Also the work pressures, and they could have made this intersection safer if they felt it needed this many signs. Curves in the road before the intersection, rumble strips, overpass, etc...
These are two completely different situations .
But Rottenhouse is roaming around free and richer. So don’t ever compare Canada with this shithole.
@@jamesbriscoe6070 if you have never traveled l-70 you can't know the dangers. I almost bought it driving a station wagon down a pass near Gunnison. When brakes get too hot they are mush. I learned it when I was 16 and never made that mistake ever again. In this guy's case .. so many things to consider all at once. But yeah check out videos on youtoob of trucks using those runaway truck ramps. It's crazy. This guy really should have used one. But there's also the issue _if a trucker uses one_ they are in big trouble.
I appreciate the analysis and explanation of how the braking systems work. And I agree, 110 years is too much, around 25 years is what we here frequently in involuntary manslaughter and other "accidental" type murder cases. Thank you Dr. Grande.
I wouldn't want to be on the road with him in 25 years. All that time being angry, feeling as though HE was the victim, etc. No thank you.
@@melissa9375 he shouldn't be able to get a CDL again, in any state.
@@jturtle5318
He could still drive a truck or car, which can still be deadly. He should not be allowed to drive anything on the road again. He was negligent and that negligence can happen again in any vehicle in the future. He also lied multiple times.
4 people died and he faced 40 some other charges as well. It seems excessive but so many lives were impacted by his decisions that day. He also refused plea bargaining.
Is it “accidental” when he made the CHOICE to drive past the runaway truck ramps and plow into the cars in front of him?
Watching these videos makes me appreciate my freedom, my apartment with wack water pressure, my gf, my friends and all the possibilities that lay ahead of me. Life is good. 👏🏽🤝🙌🏽🙏🏽
I'm really impressed by how detailed and how accurate Dr. Grande's analysis is.
Well done, Dr. Grande! You explained the operation of a tractor trailer perfectly - simple enough for a 5 year old to understand. I've got in excess of 2 million safe miles under my belt and have run the Rockies, the Pacific Coast mountains and the lesser chains on the east coast more times than I can count. In my last job before retirement I was the Safety Director of a fleet of around 250 drivers... this chap was clearly out his element and, in my opinion, deserves some jail time. Certainly not a life sentence but something meaningful "pour encourager les autres". The ownership of the company he worked for also deserves meaningful time behind bars.
Driver should get 5 years minimum and a lifetime driving ban but the ownership should probably get double that plus big damages $$$ to payout in liability. Just my 2 cents.
Thank you for your years of care!
@@bthomson Just tried to see that everyone got home safe. Part of the job, in my opinion.
And I think ur two cents is a really good take bc even if he lie about being experienced that’s the company jobs. People can’t just lie about not having something like criminal record or pass experience. And in the other he did pass some safety hazards, I just think most people who saw this just thought the sentence seems a bit exaggerated but I do think he need to do time but not 110 years that’s really absurd.
FIVE years for four deaths, dozens of life altering injuries? Uh no.
@@melissa9375 I said a minimum of 5 plus lifetime driving ban. You really should breathe deeply.... it has a calming effect.
This is a crazy sentence considering the truck driver who killed 16 hockey players in Canada only got 8 years.
@@islandlife756 that doesn’t change the fact that this is crazy….
Or the lady who only got 4 years after killing 3 children at the bus stop. Makes no sense
Anger over the injustice of light sentences is what caused the mandatory sentencing laws that resulted in this absurd prison term. Talk about over-correcting a problem.
Canada's Justice System has always being a JOKE .
Different country. Different laws. Different standards. Not the UN.
Very informative as usual. Thanks for the clarity that you bring.
The finals grades are in and I'm passed all my classes with flying colors! I'm so happy! Now I get to kick back, watch and make lots of goodies!!!! Happy holidays, Dr Grande! Your dedication is as strong as ever! ❤️❄️
Hello,Dr. Grande!🙋🌵🪴🌵🪴🎄🎁🎀🎉🎊🥂🍾How are you? Keeping warm, I imagine! Thank You!
I'm from there. He had ample opportunity to stop. He didn't and he can sit right where he is.
Very interesting and helpful. It is interesting how different of views these views are from the news. Thank you for the video.
Dr. Grande! You have a lot of knowledge in many topics! Great analysis as usual :)
Considering the mandatory sentencing he was clearly facing, and clearly would be found guilty of, I think the other incompetent party here is the attorney failing him. Don’t just offer your client the plea deal and not CLEARLY explain to the client how likely his chances of being found guilty and punishment will be
Do we know that the attorney did that? There are cases where the defendant is just to arrogant,narcissistic,flippant, stubborn, etc to except blame. Or to admit they did anything wrong. Ultimately the lawyer is there for the defendant, they can advise but what the defendant says goes. They can't force them to do anything.
You must know nothing about the legal system and attorney-client interaction he chose not to take the plea deal even when his attorney advised him that he is very likely to lose the case this was his fault not his attorney
I have my doubts if he understood or was clearly explained what he was facing. ultimately the clients choice but this is the equivalent of selling two equal items with the same features yet one has a fixed price and the other has a 90% chance of costing more . An 8% of costing the same, and a 2% chance of costing less.
We don't know if his attorney had this talk with him or not.
How do we know it was not clearly explained to this guy? He had the final say, unless they could prove incompetency.
The company owner shares some responsibility. Maybe a ten year sentence will serve as a reminder to others to ensure their staff are trained properly.
Unfortunately the company will only be paying for it with money. My co worker and her children were killed when a transfer truck slammed into the back of their minivan. The company had to pay out millions , the driver only got 5 years. I'm so surprised by this sentence.
It's not their job to train him how to drive a fucking truck, he had a license. That's like saying Toyota has to teach me how to drive a car when I already have a full car license.
@@jenniferlane9000 the mother said on an interview , that on the firsts days in court she was walking out to the street and a car drove really close to her and a guy inside showed his fist at her, she told the lawyer, that sane day the lawyer got hit from behind on his car and had to spend the night at the hospital.
The mother says the next day he was acting like a different person, and barely looked at them .
I think the driver was responsible and the company too. But after that incident the lawyer stopped trying to defend him.
He deserves a heavy sentence. He killed 4 people.
@@jaredstevens5382 I agree that he does for vehicular manslaughter. What I'm objecting to is the idea that it's somehow the company's fault for him driving like a nutcase.
IMO a fair sentence would have been something like 10 years.
Glad I found this chanel , it's the way the news should be ... Laying out the facts of what really happened and an unbiased opinion at the end
Your video is the only video that has answered my questions. Thank you
Back from the start this could have been a preventable accident. One of the biggest issues with truck drivers today is not getting the training needed and a language barrier. And as "professional drivers" We are held to a higher standard.
We are trained to go slow down a grade, it’s also common sense
@@willnill7946 exactly 💯. And if those flying down at 70 mph don't like it....I'll be alive when I reach the bottom. There's no load too hot that has to cool off in a ditch.
When the ego whispers "you only deserve a ticket" and the person makes a concious choice to go to trial. Son, you were offered a plea deal.
Imo he got off easy and deserved so much more. He is a horrific monster who enjoyed taking life and shouldn't be allowed to live another day.
Felony Stupidity.
How arrogant of him, to think he should only get a ticket! Aren't you taught the penalties to expect f or various traffic infractions/accidents when you test for your CDL?
Very nice episode Dr Grande and you really explained the theory of the brakes excellently
I completely agree! You have accurately analyzed this situation, Dr. Grande. Thank you. ❤️
Bravo Dr. Grande, again another awesome video! I've been driving tractor trailers for over 20 years and this accident was definitely preventable. He was a young inexperienced driver who worked for a terrible company. Tragic as it is to all involved he deserved to be accountable for his actions, not 110 years worth but something. God bless all the families involved, including the drivers. P.s. I wonder if he had a Jake break (engine retarder) equipped on his tractor?
@@thewwiiprofessor5808 You can't use a jake when you are out of gear. He could not get it in a gear,
He doesn’t deserve 110 years. He was inexperienced and the trucking company should be responsible for the maintenance of the truck. I do feel sorry for the people who died.
Anybody with half a brain and who wasn't super selfish knows what and would have used those emergency ramps.
If r drive a boat into a crowd because u was unfamiliar with its function are u innocent. No
Absolutely right. This is a ridiculous sentence.
The brakes were new
He turned down a plea deal he's an idiot,and a bad driver
A semi hit and killed my 16 year old brother in 2000. It devastated my life. The driver tried to sue my parents afterwards. He had "mental anguish" over losing his job. The judge tore the lawsuit papers up, and threw them in the trashcan. My brother's absence is always present. I see him in everything he's missed. Love never ends. God bless the victims' families.
Thank you Dr. Grande for covering this story.
I was quite prepared for a different conclusion from you, Dr. Grande. I live in the suburbs of Denver, south of were this accident happened. As you can imagine, it was headlines for days and weeks because of the magnitude of the accident. I don't know how much weight I want to put on the info given by the news media on this however, it was said that Mr. Aguilera wasn't the brightest bulb in the box. He also was too distraught to aid others in the accident, refusing to help. This guy was well out of his league to be responsible for his haul.
With that said, I agree that the length of his sentence is too severe. I agree that 25 years, which would easily be reduced once he has served many years, would be more in line with his crime. He did comment a crime(s). Negligence in a vehicle that leads to the death of others is a crime. Also, I sincerely doubt that Mr. Aguilera will ever cause this sort of accident again when he is out of jail. It is an isolated incident.
As a side note: a homeless man along the overpass went to the aid of several people involved in the accident. He is purported to have saved at least two people. Good Samaritans are still around.
Oooh, glad you decided to look at this one. I only recently heard about it and it’s honestly shocking…
Now i dont feel sorry for him
I really did not know what to make of this case until the video but I think you really provide great insight to the case that I had yet to see and definitely agree with your opinion on time for his sentance
I've been in this same situation before. Only happened 1 time after 17 years of driving. Driving a older truck since my normal truck was In the shop. Had a heavy load ran out of air very fast..doing 85 around around curves marked for 45. I was in like tunnel vision. Lucky I was driving at night, like I mostly do to avoid traffic. You are not thinking about running into the escape ramps..you just want to keep it on the road an not flipping over, it's just a fight mode mentally.but after making it down the grade luckily. I just had to put out my smoking breaks, an change my undies.
Hello Dr. Grande❣️ Thank you for the new video as always.
Companies put too much pressure on drivers to accept all assignments and they should not hire inexperiences mountain drivers for dangerous mountain passes - I live in a very mountainous area and have seen soooooo many horrible accidents. It's extremely dangerous
As always, Dr grande, your research is incredible.. I have to admit I was one of those people who were super confused and outraged when I read the story first. But you have definitely cleared up some confusion in regards to this catastrophe.
He was given a chance to be honest, truthful, to man-up and accept his fate, he foolishly “rolled the dice”, now he has to pay. Accidents happen sometimes, but this was just a totally preventable tragedy. RIP to the victims, their families and the ones injured. 😞
He keeps saying "recklessness" over and over again, I don't buy it - only at the end does he say what it really was: Incompetence. Had he been competent he would have known not to get into that situation.
This guy sounds like a lot of Spanish and Portuguese drivers I drove with, they came across as reckless and arrogant because they were often badly educated guys who'd barely been trained.
His biggest mistake was taking it to court. When you take any case to court you get the maximum possible time. He should have took a plea deal his lawyers worked out for him. He might be in jail for only like 2 years. Who knows. But he chose to fight it. And that's why he has many consecutive sentences.
This only prove how miserable the justice system is. Plead guilty or go to hell.
@@trustytrucking9917 No... sorry. He wanted to establish that HE was a victim, too.
His lawyer would have said to him you *are* going to be found guilty because you *are* obviously guilty. If you don't take this plea deal you *are* going to get 110 years. Nope.
@@melissa9375 regardless… the justice system IS terrible.
@@insomniiak The American justice system is a piece of shit. Commonwealth country systems are a lot more sensible.
For example, here in New Zealand there are some mandatory minimums but there is always a caveat that allows the judge to differ from them in certain circumstances, like if they would result in an unfair outcome. American politicians are too stupid to include something like that in their laws.
Thank you for the analysis. As a retired trucker driver I learnt the hard way using to much brake on long hills. Just a little fading and no traffic ahead. I was feeling for him until you added the details.
I agree with the video’s assessment, and I’m not sure if it was, but it seems his company should also be held to account. Work culture about not putting safety first and pressuring staff to have no delays may have played a factor.