More than four and a half million people in the United States have sought pardon for a truck driver who was sentenced to 110 years in prison for a road accident that killed four people.

Reality TV star Kim Kardashian is among the supporters of Rogel Aguilera-Mederos: "This is so unfair," wrote the 41-year-old, who is currently studying to be a lawyer, on Twitter about the severe punishment.

She prayed that the Colorado state governor will mitigate the sentence.

The immigrant Aguilera-Mederos from Cuba caused a fatal accident in his truck loaded with logs near the city of Denver in April 2019.

When his brakes failed in a mountain region, he sped at more than 130 kilometers per hour into vehicles that were parked on the highway because of another accident.

Four people died, six others were injured, and 28 vehicles were damaged. 

4.76 million people are calling for reduced sentences

The prosecution charged Aguilera-Mederos, among other things, with not having steered the truck into an emergency lane.

The 26-year-old was ultimately found guilty on 27 counts, including vehicle killings.

A judge last week sentenced him to 110 years in prison.

The judge said that he had not opted for such a sentence himself, but that his hands were tied: it was the minimum sentence stipulated in Colorado law.

In the state traversed by the Rocky Mountains, prison sentences for the individual counts are added together in certain cases.

The harsh verdict caused astonishment and, in places, outrage.

By early Thursday (local time), more than 4.76 million people signed a petition on the Change.org website demanding a reduction in sentence or a pardon for the truck driver.

On online networks, truckers threatened not to drive around Colorado until the issue was resolved.

Truck drivers no longer threaten to drive through Colorado

His attorney James Colgan told ABC television that Aguilera-Mederos had "acted negligently" but that his sentence was "completely disproportionate".

Kardashian called for an amendment to the criminal code: "Mandatory minimum sentences take the judiciary's discretion and must be abolished," she said.

She added, "The Colorado governor is a really good person, and I know he'll do the right thing."

Governor Jared Polis has already received a pardon for Aguilera Mederos, which is currently under review.

The prosecutor also filed a motion asking the court to reconsider the size of the sentence.

According to the law, extraordinary circumstances can be asserted in special cases when determining the sentence.