Truck driver faces 'decades' in prison if convicted in Colorado crash

May 4 (UPI) -- The driver who crashed into traffic on a Colorado interstate leading to an accident that killed four people was charged Friday with vehicular homicide.

Roger Lazaro Aquilera-Mederos, 23, was charged with a total of 40 counts, including four counts of vehicular homicide and six counts of first-degree assault, for his part in a fiery crash on I-70 in Denver on April 25.

"Mr. Aguilera was observed by a number of citizens driving recklessly, swerving through various lanes of the road," said Pete Weir, Jefferson and Gilpin's district attorney, during a press conference. In all, the accident involved 28 vehicles.

Aquilera told police he was driving his tractor-trailer about 45 miles per hour before his brakes failed. Weir, however, said Aquilera was driving "in excess of 85 miles per hour."

After pulling the emergency brake, he swerved toward the right shoulder, which he said was blocked by another trailer. He said he swung the trailer back onto the road, then collided into the back of stopped traffic.

Since the accident completely destroyed the trailer, it won't be possible to inspect any mechanical malfunction.

Miguel Lamas Arrellano, 24; William Bailey, 67; Doyle Harrison, 61; Stanley Politano, 69 all died in the accident. Two other people were also seriously injured in the crash.

"Potentially, Mr. Aguilera could be looking at decades in the Department of Corrections," Weir said.