Charges filed against truck driver in deadly Colorado crash

The 23-year-old truck driver accused of causing a fiery interstate pileup that killed four people in Colorado has been formally charged with four counts of vehicular homicide.

Jefferson County District Attorney Pete Weir announced Friday a total of 40 charges against Rogel Lazaro Aguilera-Mederos of Houston.

The charges against Aguilera-Mederos also include six counts of first-degree assault and 24 counts of attempted first-degree assault.

The crash occurred April 25 on Interstate 70 just after it descends from the mountains west of Denver. The pileup involved 28 vehicles and multiple explosions. Besides the four killed, six others were injured.

Aguilera-Mederos, who is being held on $400,000 bond, told investigators the brakes on his semitrailer failed.

His lawyer declined immediate comment Friday but said previously that the crash was an accident.