Colorado governor reduces 110-year sentence for truck driver in crash to 10 years

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis on Thursday commuted the 110-year prison sentence for a truck driver convicted of causing a highway crash that killed four people, injecting a political twist to a case that garnered national attention for the severity of punishment. 

Polis, a Democrat, reduced the sentence for Rogel Aguilera-Mederos to 10 years, making the driver eligible for parole as early as Dec.  30, 2026.

In his clemency letter, Polis decried the original sentence as "arbitrary and unjust" but said it was not the fault of the trial judge, who was required to follow a law passed by state lawmakers.

"The length of your 110-year sentence is simply not commensurate with your actions, nor with penalties handed down to others for similar crimes," the governor wrote.

You can read the full letter here.

The case captured national attention from legal experts and celebrities, as more than 5 million Americans signed a petition asking the governor to reduce the sentence.