Trucker Sentenced to 110 Years in Prison!?!?! Larry Lawton's Thoughts

Ex Jewel Thief, Mob Earner, Criminal and Prisoner Larry Lawton discusses the sentencing of a truck driver in Colorado who received 110 years in prison for a fatal accident.
Ex Jewel Thief Larry Lawton spent 11 years in prison and now helps people make better decisions and fights for prison reform. #Lawton #Prison #Mob
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I do not condone any of the negative behavior described. I have learned from the mistakes I have made and do not wish for anyone to recreate or attempt any of the events described.

[@LarryLawtonJewelThief]

This is outrageous! Don't forget to listen to my Podcast, "The Real Deal w/Larry Lawton on all major podcast platforms. New shows every Monday and Friday. Merry Christmas to everyone. Thank you to all the truckers out there for your tireless unappreciated service. I truly appreciate you and thank you. Stay safe.

[@chrisabbott978]

Well said Larry 💯 The company should have never let a new driver drive bye himself in that location. Many trucker's say that you should not put a new driver in that area

[@copperheaddesigns672]

trucks require very strict pre checks and if they find anyone that finds knows or neglected the saftey of a truck they are found 100% responsible / know they did it on purpose

[@LarryLawtonJewelThief]

@@chrisabbott978 I am sure that is true

[@LarryLawtonJewelThief]

@@copperheaddesigns672 But 110 years, crazy!

[@Loku242]

Lawton, did you know the prosecuting attorney for this case celebrated taking this man's entire life away with the faulty brakes of the semi truck mounted on the wall like a trophy and posted either on facebook and/or twitter a picture of it to brag about it. The original post was taken down, but not before screenshots of it were captured. We have only seen the tip of the iceberg in regards to the level of cruelty this system encourages, or at the very least the cruelty of the prosecuting attorney who spearheaded the flaws of the system to take this man's life away, then celebrated it by flaunting a trophy on the internet as though it were an award for curing cancer.

[@oldmanfunky4909]

As a former semi driver myself, what pisses me off about this case all the blame goes on the driver when it is the company that hired this guy are the TRUE criminals! THEY knew he didn't speak the language, they KNEW he didn't have the experience, and THEY knowingly sent him down the most dangerous stretch of road for a semi driver. Legit trucking companies would NEVER send a rookie untrained driver on a mountain pass. The company owner that knowingly sent this guy down a mountain with zero training is the man/woman who should be in prison.

[@nathanh2917]

Its ridiculous to think that one mistake.. one shockingly bad day and you could spend life in prison. Potentially through no fault of your own. He does deserve prison time.... but not the rest of his life. Even 20 years would be extreme. Its like these judges and juries dont seem to comprehend how long these sentences truly are. Even 5 years in jail forever changes the course of your life. We havent modernized our sentences and it shows.

[@GELLYWAINS69]

I definitely agree

[@christianivantapia2102]

Thank you for ur services

[@thelotus8285]

I'm a driver myself and I know he doesn't deserve anymore time than what he already served. Vehicle breakdowns are part of road everyday.

[@Lizzard2060]

I agree that the company should hold some culpability. They are now out of business plus due to his cdl restrictions he was not allowed out of TX due to his language limitations. The company had only given his clearance to go out of state two week prior when he was not allowed to and had less than two years drive time. It was a small trucking company with significant citations on their record. My understanding is he did mislead the company by saying he had more experience, regardless of his restricted cdl and his work only visa, and they just said "OK" and sent him without even checking when he couldn't read english. So he misrepresented himself and the company did nothing to verify anything even though he had little experience. The company was small and only had 5 rigs. Again, they were shady AF and are out of business.

[@monkeybusiness9983]

As a Colorado resident who was only minutes behind this accident, I am torn. Sentencing a man to 110 years is too much for a negligent mistake. However, this section of I70 is RIDDLED with careless and untrained truckers causing accidents. As a CDL class A holder myself, I understand that inspections and proper driving practices are as critical as if one is piloting an airplane. You are behind the wheel of a LETHAL weapon, if not treated with the greatest respect. The Rocky Mountains steep, long grades are no place for mistakes behind the wheel, and everyone who possess a CDL is made to understand this. Having said all of that, the legal requirements surrounding this conviction are ridiculous. I believe he should serve time, yes. But a life sentence is a miscarriage of justice. LOVE your channel Larry. You inspire thoughtful consideration regarding our criminal justice system, and we need it!

[@LarryLawtonJewelThief]

Thank you and I agree with you 100% Stay safe out there.

[@charlesvan13]

If his only fault was not following inspection regulations, then that's really extreme. There was that nightclub fire in RI which killed like 100 people and the owners got a couple years for poor safety practices.

[@BlazingStreamline]

Honestly don’t think he should be charged. The company he worked for had many safety violations regarding their vehicles so the company he worked for knew these trucks weren’t fit to be driven. I honestly think whoever was in charge of maintaining the vehicle at his company should be the one serving 110 years.

[@marqgoldberg7454]

Have they even proved negligence on the driver's part? It sounds to me like the driver may be an innocent victim of the company's errors.

[@bryangrivno]

Training definitely needs to be updated as a driver myself I see how bad it's getting going down hills drivers are letting the truck hall ass the hit the break

[@Legohaiden]

110 years is beyond ridiculous. He could have literally walked into a walmart, pulled out a shotgun and blew away a child in front of their mother and got less time. Think about that.. Our entire Prison and Justice system is so messed up in situations like this.

[@mackjeez]

Did anyone actually watch the case or are they talking out their ass???? He stated in court he had a choice to swerve the car on a wall but chose to hit the cars because it would give him a better survival rate, he then preceded to fucking run away from the scene while people were dying.

[@ottercookiesottercookies394]

Only if your white dude

[@xenogaming9600]

@@mackjeez proof

[@scotttild]

@@xenogaming9600 Read the dame trial transcript. He could have avoided killing the 4 people which makes it beyond general negligence that's why he got the long sentence. Not only that he ran away from the entire accident which made things worse.

[@xero2715]

@@scotttild There is an entire field of machine learning dedicated to analogues of the trolley problem. Where hundreds of people are presented permutations of zero sum games where someone has to die to see what the consensus is because it is an incredibly nuanced issue. He chose his own life over that of others in the heat of the moment, most people would do the same. Can you honestly say that if your life was suddenly on the line that you wouldn't do whatever you could to save it?

[@mavey5803]

To think, just 25 years ago. Without all this media and internet coverage, this man probably never would have seen the light of day again. He still may get an extreme sentence, but I hope this movement and your video helps him and those laws are revised to be more justifiable. Love what you do Larry!

[@yoursafeplace8476]

He got 10 years. Politician knocked 100 off the sentence. Sucks but hey, it could be 110 still.

[@Lebalowski]

@@yoursafeplace8476 He's eligible for parole in 2026.

[@yoursafeplace8476]

@@Lebalowski Doesn't mean he'll get it champ. Parole is funny like that. Even if he does get out he'll be under heavy supervision for x amount of time. 6-10 years.

[@mavey5803]

@@yoursafeplace8476 Way better than a 100 year barbaric sentence like that. He'll do his time for that mistake and get out to start living again. Most people in prison aren't gonna fuck with him for something like this, he probably feels guilty as shit anyway. Honestly it's tough, but people died so someone has to bite the bullet. I hope the guy gets out early.

[@peterjermyn5785]

@kylelewkowicz8034 thanks for that info

[@OKCMTB]

Update: The prosecutor has now filled a motion for a reduced sentence. The people have been heard! 4.5 million people to be exact. Let get this man some justice.

[@nickevershedmusic8927]

Fuck yeah!!

[@JabrieldaGoat]

I hope so, this is bullshit you know

[@ChristinaTodd1970]

The prosecutor shouldn't have filed these heavy violent charges in the first place!! Gimme a break!

[@vchill79]

Also major trucking companies have refused to deliver to Colorado unless the sentance is reduced to something more just

[@dormiebasne3578]

This just tells you that concerted action CAN work

[@SpencerLuxBurton]

When you see the button up shirt you know it's serious, and god how serious this is. I hope this all turns out as well as possible considering what's already happened.

[@PigTranceForm100]

Roach Dogg Jr?

[@Dad-979]

@@PigTranceForm100 oh shit!!! I seen him last week!!! He’s still out of control bro.

[@PigTranceForm100]

@@Dad-979 good to hear. I wouldnt expect anything less from the dogg family

[@scratchinburn]

Hey Larry! You wanna be a judge?

[@patrickmollohan3082]

Yo Larry!! Who the fuck is really tying this judge's hands? Hes a MOTHERFUCKING JUDGE For Christ's sakes!! He's not a goddamn Magistrate or Justice of the peace!! He is high enough in status where he can make his own fucking sentences based SOLELY on the FACTS! CO. is one of the most liberal states in the damn country!! You can buy a pound of weed..maybe if this driver was high on CO. weed it would be ok? The driver is obviously Hispanic...but he was able to.accquire a fucking CDL...you must be in this country legally!! The victims,.this is the sad part bc they are dead and not coming back..and yes it hurts my heart!! Only an animal wouldnt be hurt over this. Is someone in Govt running on a anti-fracking agenda? Kinda doubt it. BUT who the fuck in Govt took it upon themselves to make vehicular homicide guidelines when there was NO fucking homicide!! Yes, you had many people killed, but none of it was caused knowingly, intentionally, or illegally thru drugs, alcohol, cocaine, uppers or anything of the sort. Did he drive for a company? If so, those are the asshats they need to go after. THEY are the ones who are supposed to maintain important shit...uh like AIR BRAKES So the trucks can stop!! Not a working man who spent most of his life on the fucking road!! Leaving his family alone more than normal to provide for them...bc trucking companies are well known for grinding drivers dicks in the dirt with impossible to keep schedules!! In which the drivers are pulling way more than 10 hrs/day before taking 8 hours rest...which means many drivers drive tired so they dont get the axe from a peckerhead boss!! Heres my last word on this shit is, although I feel so very hurt for the families of the victims, but if he was not found at fault..they need to spring his ass from the joint post haste!!!

[@clydebarrow827]

The passion and humanity you express proves your one of the few people that went to prison and you where truly reformed. Not because prison/jail works to reform prisoners as a system... But because you persevered in spite of the broken system. I always say, "in your darkest hour your true colors shine through." You where strong enough to go through something horrible like the system and came out a better person. Which is so rare. I'm glad your one of the people on the streets. The world needs more people like you man. Of course people need repercussions for breaking the law. But those repercussions need to leave room to truly allow people to grow as a person. The system in place right now is so hell bent on punishment that it breaks people down as a human being. It doesnt build them up to become a better person. How you ended up as a good person in the end is nothing short of a testimate as to how strong of a person you are.

[@runescaperzzz]

Pure facts.

[@lisafranklin9089]

Beautifully said💖

[@rustynail6617]

Update: his sentence just got lowered to 10 years!😁

[@aonstability5428]

Still too long.

[@drammend4113]

@@aonstability5428 he’s eligible for parole on 2026. still sucks but it’s something

[@DeethAlAkir]

It's ridiculuous. Yes he failed to do checks on his truck, but putting him into jail doesn't make anything better. Who's to say that even if he would have done checks on his truck he would have noticed that fault? USA is totally fucked.

[@northlandgaming8460]

@@DeethAlAkir that’s… uh… the point of a check? Duh?

[@tammywozmoak6349]

Still long but much better!

[@mkarlmark]

And Ethan Couch suffering from "affluenza" drives drunk and kills 4 people and he gets released after 720 days. And a clear accident gets this poor guy 110 yrs. Complete insanity. I hope this video goes more than viral. Great job Larry!!

[@ChristinaTodd1970]

God! Ethan Couch. I hate that guy and his whole family. Disgusting.

[@darrenfunk8440]

Honestly Larry, keep speaking out man. The world needs more guys like you. This case is such a miscarriage of justice. My heart is heavy for, not only the families of the people who died in this case. But this poor trucker who knew made a mistake. Now his life is gone as well. Another victim.

[@explorer666able]

I DISAGREE TO AGREE

[@saulhorowitz6216]

He rejected a bench trial and refused a peal deal because he was only willing to accept a traffic violation all of which his lawyers advised against try learning all the facts before calling something a mistrial of justice

[@darrenfunk8440]

@@saulhorowitz6216 guess I should have called you first eh Saul? Stfu. Fine. Maybe justice was served according to the absolute ancient laws set in the USA, but if for one second, someone sat there and said "hmmm, what actually makes sense in THIS case" We would have a different outcome

[@saulhorowitz6216]

@@darrenfunk8440 so what do you think makes sense for someone who took four lives because they passed not 1 but 2 runaway truck exits and drove their truck BACK into traffic after being on the shoulder knowing they had no breaks and refused a 12 year plea deal ?

[@RSTI191]

@@saulhorowitz6216 Is that fact? Wow if so.. This is the first I'm hearing of this case.

[@Charles_Dean]

Larry I feel the same way you do on many things and I hope your voice reaches the right people and actually changes things. I’m for sure one person that is standing beside you on your serious topics. You’ve got a great channel and I’ve loved it since the beginning. I loved it even more once I learned how much you do for prison reform. Keep it going because this is one of the top channels I watch and you’re someone I respect

[@loganj3354]

For all that don't know the governor reduced his sentence by 100 years, bringing it down to a 10-year sentence.

[@Mise22]

10 years is too much

[@charlescourtwright2229]

@@Mise22 10 years, 5 with parole with a suspension of cdl

[@Muneeb.]

@@charlescourtwright2229 still too much consideding he's not at fault for anything

[@Mise22]

@@Muneeb. I think in my country he wouldn't have got anything or he would it probably would be like small fine or something. But ofcourse american system is broken and only for business.

[@Muneeb.]

@@Mise22 yup

[@xxmysterygirl101xx]

I am a UK viewer of yours and I literally cannot believe they have sentenced this young dude to 110 years. Its barbaric. I really hope some one in prison takes him under his wing. I truly worry that he will unalive himself.

[@McYeroc]

4 people dying and more injured because of your mistake isint something that you should just get a slap on the wrist for. I'm from Scotland it doesn't matter what part of the world your from loss of human life is loss of human life end of. Someone has to be held accountable.

[@xxmysterygirl101xx]

@@McYeroc yes but not for 110 years and also I don't hold the same beliefs as you clearly. I am a prison abolitionist.

[@firefly9838]

@@McYeroc I’m not saying he should walk free however 110 years it’s Ridiculous.

[@analcavity7149]

@@McYeroc Go to a different page, you Troll. We can all see what your trying to do here. Tiochfaidh ar la, you hun.

[@gibby2937]

@@xxmysterygirl101xx A prison abolitionist? Now isn't that nice? How about we release all the murderers and rapists and put them on your street as your new neighbors? Would you agree to this?

[@ltrs1212]

As a trucker myself, I nearly threw up last night when I accidentally scraped another truck's faring trying to back into a spot. I've been driving for 2 years and this is the first time I've ever touched another truck. Luckily for me, It was a very small scratch on his truck and zero damage to my trailer. The guy was very supportive and we exchanged info and I went to sleep. TLDR, I can't imagine how bad this guy feels and the sentence was HORRIFIC. It's not like he aimed a van at a bunch of protesters or blew up a marathon. It was a mechanical failure. Not a choice.

[@truckercowboyed2638]

Yet you got the super truckers saying he should have hit the runaway ramp, but many companies actually fire a driver if they take the runaway ramp....

[@LarryLawtonJewelThief]

I agree 1000% please stay safe and thank you for being a trucker. I support the people who make this country move. Very important.

[@LarryLawtonJewelThief]

@@truckercowboyed2638 I didn't know that, if they do, they should be held accountable. They should encourage it.

[@LarryLawtonJewelThief]

@@johngarofalo3155 Good point and big support for all the truckers out there. Much love from me.

[@danzilla3223]

Please don't drive down a mountain

[@Bunstonious]

Thankyou for bringing light to this, I had no idea. How shocking is it that he is facing 110 years and no mention of the trucking company and their lack of compliance.

[@punishedwhispers1218]

The moment I heard brakes failed I instantly shouted 'Innocent!' in my head

[@FizzleIsGaming]

Reading some of the comments here really makes me think the thing our species and justice system lacks most is the ability to have empathy.

[@LarryLawtonJewelThief]

OHHHH So true and spot-on, happened with the last president.

[@ChristinaTodd1970]

Amen

[@rafaelhernandez6525]

@@LarryLawtonJewelThief can you make a video about race. Haven't seen all your videos but in case you have. What I mean is, does race really have a difference in the system. You have said you studied law and people must have come to you for help. I know race can have an impact but just wondering if it's a big difference or not. Thanks and have a good one. Love your videos.

[@HelloThere-jr6gd]

Its more about money than race in the court sytems. All about how good of a lawyer you can get. Look at how crime is soaring though in cities that are being soft on crime though.

[@divinesolar4606]

@@LarryLawtonJewelThief Current*

[@storytimewithunclebill1998]

Sad story for so many reasons. I was shot by a Marine who throw is 30/30 on the ground and blew my ankle away. 1.5 million dollars and two years for recovery and called it an accident. Dude was never charged or had to pay a dime. I have a metal rod that holds my foot to my leg and have a permanent limp. Dude made a mistake. He didnt try to do it. It was an accident that was horrible, but not worth a life sentence. Hope it gets changed. Larry is so right about the laws and judges powers. Change is always needed, and now is a good time. Prayers to all the ones that were lost. Always an interesting watch and well told story. Great video

[@ChristopherGray00]

You could have filed a civil damages suit and gotten a lot of money from him.

[@terryjohnson8317]

It was not an accident. It was carelessness on the part of someone who should have known how to handle a gun. An accident is when a gun blows up or misfires. An unintended discharge covers everything else and they are preventable

[@Liscome]

@@ChristopherGray00 a Marine ain't got no money

[@janicebrubaker1096]

Merry Christmas to you and yours, Larry!!

[@chrislareau8110]

Thank you for this excellent video Larry. I really enjoyed it.

[@KarRuptAssassin]

>trucker accidentally kills people with failed brakes - 110 years in prison >multi billionaires are working people to death for record breaking profits while paying barely liveable wages - praised

[@LarryLawtonJewelThief]

GREAT point

[@yurichtube1162]

The USA praises trash

[@CrystalDragon22]

You are so right Larry. I admire you turning your life around and trying to help people. You have a heart and I so respect that. Thank you for caring about people and trying to help people Larry. No matter what others may say I appreciate the work you do trying to help people. Its great to see how you have flipped things in your life.

[@DanielBooneArchery]

A little background for me. I'm a class A truck driver for 7 years now, I do believe that you should be held accountable for your actions, and that this is a horrible accident. That being said this is exactly what I tell the rookies that can happen. On the other hand a life sentence for a slip of a job isn't right no matter how you look at it. I do believe that a driver is responsible with what the vehicle does when he's behind the wheel. As experienced CDL holders we need to push the younger drivers to do a proper pretrial, and to not let anyone who isn't behind the wheel of your truck to tell you to drive it anyways. There are plenty of jobs out there. I do hope that there ends up being a good end to this, but who knows. The rest of us who hold a cdl don't let this happen to you.

[@mikehunt8823]

I do wonder how much longer we will actually be allowed to drive trucks, when lives can be lost with accidents like this. I suspect in the next 20-30 years they will drive themselves and the human driver will be there for safety and to hold a dead man's handle, like trains. I know a man who killed someone the first day he drove a truck, fell asleep and took someone out who was broken down on the hard shoulder, the guy has never forgiven himself it's really sad.

[@LarryLawtonJewelThief]

Well said

[@user-Ghost404]

@@mikehunt8823 Well they already made them all automatic now so your prediction might be right. The world soon will have foam on every corner so you can’t bump your little head on. Let’s take all the risks away so people don’t ever have to learn a lesson anymore. Damn shame.

[@asdf2593]

@@user-Ghost404 i hope that no one you know ever dies a gruesome preventable death

[@gregory9966]

@@user-Ghost404 you’ve talked a lot of crap on here and it’s childish as hell. You’re clearly incapable of having an adult conversation with people. Seriously grow up.

[@lafamilia6155]

it is real crazy how a ped0phile gets sentenced less than this trucker who had an accident. pardon my English but this is just outrageous. and also thank you Larry for talking about this case. God Bless.

[@lafamilia6155]

@16bit Classics And I feel bad for the people that have been died during that accident, but did he really mean to hit these people? they shouldve blamed the company instead.

[@lafamilia6155]

@16bit Classics I Agree with you. 110 years is ridicules. but RIP to those people.

[@truckercowboyed2638]

As a trucker myself, I can tell you things go wrong even with perfectly inspecting the equipment, this driver did nothing intentional and given his inexperience, he probably wasn't taught how to recover from brakes fading down a mountain....

[@LarryLawtonJewelThief]

My thoughts exactly. I respect truckers so much. I have a 38-ft RV and I see a lot of crazy shit on the roads. Truckers get my utmost respect. Stay safe my friend.

[@jamesdukes1869]

Exactly I'm not a truck driver but I've worked at landscaping or still do and I can tell you things can still go wrong and it's not even the drivers fault

[@ext93]

In any field, you will encounter unexpected problems, even with perfect preparation. Sometimes you don't know what to do and require more training or help from someone more experienced. It's unfortunate that in this case it was high stakes and it cost the lives of other people, but 110 years for this man won't change anything or make the highways safer. It would be 1 thing if he purposely drove the truck into a preschool or pack of cars, but he didn't. He experienced a problem he wasn't prepared for, and that's what sucks. If the judge/jury/prosecutor intended to "scare" other truck drivers into driving more safely (i.e. make an example out of this kid), they failed. And that's a terrible way to address safety concerns, anyway.

[@TheJhn924]

​@@ext93 ...and in an industry pushing drivers to the brink and in many cases not dealing with unsafe equipment in a timely manner.

[@DS40764]

Maybe they shouldn't have allowed him on that route, which apparently was a hard route to drive in best conditions and there was evidence that he had break problems

[@drgti16v]

Mr. Lawton, you mentioned the Golden Rule, "Treat people the way you want to be treated." Thank you Sir. Keep up your great message.

[@titancrusher4514]

I’m really happy that I watched his old videos. Where he was out in his garage in a sweatshirt. And no big KZbin plaques or anything. And to see him come this far is amazing really proud :$

[@angc214]

I'm a former trucker myself. It seems like there was a severe lack of training for this guy. He was from Texas not Colorado, he was just driving through Colorado for this load. This may have been the first time he drove in mountains. They just don't have mountains like this in Texas. When I started driving I had to spend 5 weeks with a trainer. This included a requirement that I drive several mountain grades under the supervision of that trainer before I ever got to drive solo. I don't think this guy had any training after CDL school.

[@Eagleclaw43567]

An from what I read he lied about his experience to even get the job. His lack of skill an training is what's wrong with companies just giving out cdls. I was wondering if he even use his Jake brake or exhaust break, or if he just using his regular brakes which would cause a brake failure.

[@Legohaiden]

Former Trucker here too... Yep those Mountain passes are..... something else that's for sure. That being said, my first time going through them I made sure to pull over at the top before the decline at the clearly marked "Trucker pull off and check" station before my decent to avoid something exactly like this. 15 minutes spent going over your truck to make sure every little thing is in order and functioning correctly can literally save lives. All that said... 110 years for an accident is beyond ridiculous, 2-5yrs would have been justice... 110 is ending another life for no reason, its not justice.

[@Lizzard2060]

@@Eagleclaw43567 He had paid a FL company to pass his cdl as he was unable to. That's how he got his cdl, someone took the test for him and he could not read english. He lied about his experience to the trucking company as well. He never claimed to use his jake brake at all and clearly told his boss and another driver he could not keep the rig in gear once the descent started and was using his air brakes the whole way down. He then lied to the PD after trying to flee the scene saying he had done this exact mountain run before, which was also untrue. Both the company that he paid for his cdl and the company he worked for are out of business.

[@Eagleclaw43567]

@@Lizzard2060 that makes a sense. I heard about those places in Florida where you can buy a CDL. Yeah he should not have been behind that wheel at all, he deserves to go to prison. But for 110yrs no, maybe like 10-15yrs. But than again he caused it with his many of mistakes he decided to make.

[@Lizzard2060]

@@Eagleclaw43567 OK, but his plea offer was 10 to 15 and his defense got it down to 9yrs and he stood by his grandiose statement and said "I deserve a speeding ticket" and that was all he believed he deserved. So he could have had 9 yrs but he chose to go to trial after being explained the risks because he knew better. Even though he had so many lies like his cdl, his lack of experience, his lying to the cops, fleeing the scene, etc. that would come out. I get 110 looks crazy but the sentence people are asking for he already turned down because he felt he didn't deserve any jail time and deserved only a speeding ticket.

[@QuinceyG]

This is INSANE, and it makes me disgusted with our judicial system. I need to sign a petition. If you have a link Larry, please let me know

[@LarryLawtonJewelThief]

Agree, 1000% So sad all around but this is crazy

[@mr.hallman333]

Undertrained driver. I'm a driver and we face jail time every time we get in that cab to bring you those goods. Bless u Larry

[@LarryLawtonJewelThief]

@@mr.hallman333 You are probably right but being a bad driver is a lot different than murder. I won't what the driver of the Walmart truck got for killing a man and injuring Tracy Morgan.

[@mr.hallman333]

@@LarryLawtonJewelThief oh yeah I remember that. Yea under the jail I'm sure. The sentence is too harsh for that kid. 20 years maybe. Alot of liability in the trucking game. I watch your videos in the event that I have to go to prison behind one of these type of events. Thanks for all you do Larry. Making the money is always harder when it's honest.

[@mr.hallman333]

Yessir bad driver yes. murderer idts.

[@diamondd2778]

SERIOUSLY LARRY , THAT EPISODE WAS GREAT , SUBSCRIBED!!! NEW FAN HERE. LOVE FROM AUSTRALIA

[@MaachoMaan]

Larry, you hit it dead on the screws, coach! You're a good dude, man. The world's a better place for people like yourself being in it.

[@dormiebasne3578]

I always look to the person's company/employer/supervisors for not enforcing a culture of "safety first". A lot of these trucking companies don't care about regulations and will have truckers do suspect stuff just because they are willing to risk other people's safety to get the load there ahead of schedule. Hopefully, his employer is taken to court at least civilly so some sort of compensation can be granted to the victims' families/estate.

[@LarryLawtonJewelThief]

I could agree with that. Business first and making money before safety. We see it all the time

[@pwhnckexstflajizdryvombqug9042]

You might be right, but on the other hand you could still be wrong (you would have to actually look at the facts of the case) because no matter how much the employer did encourage a "culture of “Safety” first" the truck driver could have still done what he did. We don't know what the employer did.

[@anomaly3215]

@@pwhnckexstflajizdryvombqug9042 it's been proven that the trucking company has had dozens of safety issues in the past, including the truck's brakes, and the reason he crashed is literally because his brakes went out

[@andrerice7567]

The oligarchy gets away with so much because of the "individualist" culture. The ignorant judge put 100+ years on his sentence without even the slightest hint of addressing the business culture that added to this situation. More shit would get addressed if businesses get prison time. Make the CEO's solely responsible to justify their inflated compensation. A business practice lead to deaths? If convicted then let the CEO serve time. That'll tell every other business to gtf inline or else they're going to the slammer. Poor people scrapping by are easy targets and scapegoats. CEO's would be make sure to follow rules and regulations in no time. Hell they'll sacrifice their own money to make sure things get done properly.

[@DageLV]

here the individual worker wont be really touched. If you say vehicle is unsafe, simply dont drive it. Employer cant do anything about it, he cant fire you etc. If you dont know vehicle is unsafe and whoever is responsible for inspection is guilty. if the inspector acknowegled its unsafe, told the people above, people above ignored it, then the people above are responsible.

[@trowuabeatin]

Larry, having served several years in both Federal & State prison myself, I couldn’t agree with you more. That being said, I belonged in prison for what I did. Honestly, it may have been the best thing that ever happened to me. I say that because I got a second chance and I’ve used that chance to turn my life around. My criminal days were more than 30 years ago and I’ve never looked back. I haven’t had so much as a traffic ticket since. To take people with non violent criminal convictions and throw their lives away under the guise getting justice is absurd. There was no justice served here. We definitely need criminal justice reform but in both directions. We need to not criminalize every little thing that people do like smoking marijuana for instance. but on the flip side we need to enhance penalties for repeat violent offenders. Mandatory minimums were supposed to be for this purpose but are rarely enforced. It’s these repeat violent felons that have helped lay waste to our cities. I currently reside in Baltimore and right now the City States Attorney is in a pissing contest with the Governor over her lack of hard core prosecutions of violent offenders. In my opinion the Governor is 100% correct. Having been in prison I can tell you that there are people who absolutely belong there and some of them should never be allowed to walk amongst us ever again because of the heinousness of their crimes. However, they are the minority. We are supposed to be a society of reform and tolerance. Giving this man 110 years for basically failing to properly inspect his truck is a case of cruel and unusual punishment if there ever was one. I sympathize with the families with those families that lost someone as a result but this was nothing more than a tragic accident.

[@baddest_bitch]

Having driven that stretch of road more times than I can count i can tell you it was more than an accident. There's more warning signs than I can count plus many, many runway truck ramps for exactly that purpose. 110 years us excessive but he was very criminally negligent and absolutely deserves time.

[@andysommerlot5123]

Nathan, I agree. Giving this man 110 years is so asinine stupid I can't believe it... but I agree he was negligent, careless, complacent and reckless. Because of his choice and actions 4 people are dead, many more injured, and how many millions$$$ will be lost in vehicles, goods, insurance claims, lawsuits, repairs, medical, emergency services..... But 110 years is a completely dumb, cruel and unintended consequence of Colorado's system. Needs fixed. He needs to serve a many year stretch, but 110...no way.

[@wesbeaty]

Amen sir

[@cloudyycrib6019]

Dont mean to be rude, but what did you do?

[@trowuabeatin]

@@cloudyycrib6019 I was involved in racketeering & conspiracy

[@ImGoat1995]

Saw an update on this his sentence got reduced to 10 years

[@thomasbailey9605]

GREAT video, brother!! Agree 100%.

[@Mach_Style]

Thank you for touching on this topic Larry. I know I sent you an email on this and hopefully many others did. There's a lot of factors that came into this crash and many being controversial among the trucking industry. But in the end its the sentencing that is absurd and I'm glad you covered it and was able to show the people just how screwed up our justice system can be. Being a truck driver we are always held to the higher standards as professionals. But everyone is new at some point and some are not as experienced in the industry as others. Meaning you have new guys come in and have a general idea of how things work, and then you have some that are 100% clueless and rely on the training. This guy unfortunately was very new and had a lot to learn. That inexperience showed here and now his life is ruined over an accident. I really hope the best for this man and If I could, I would love to take him into my company and give him all the training and experience he would need to be a better driver.

[@wrestlinggod4105]

I’m from Australia and viewing this and saying he’s getting 110 years is so wrong and Larry is right it makes the USA look terrible.

[@astalnor9990]

I am from France and yes it does make the US look terrible. A life sentence for a terrible accident, i hope the judge doesn't sleep at night anymore.

[@kevinjackson4420]

@@astalnor9990 so what is the right punishment...he is responsible for the deaths of 4 people..but everyone is saying how unjust 110 years is for the driver...no one has even mentioned the 4 families who lost loved ones

[@Damnto]

Bro your police beats people up for not being in lockdown while the whole world is over it

[@jamesdukes1869]

@@kevinjackson4420 everyone mentioned the lives lost bro and us 110 yrs is horrible

[@kevinjackson4420]

@@jamesdukes1869 seems weird I work as a dispatch for longhaul truckers and none of my guys said they mentioned any of the families only the "poor" driver so try again

[@LynxNYC]

Wow! You are brilliant and on point!

[@reid2558]

I was listening to you talk about this while I was putting my laundry away. One thing that stuck out to me was at the end when you said to, basically, give good acts of kindness. As a US Army Veteran of OIF I always ask folks, "Have you hugged a Vet today?" (Whether they knew I served or not) Because believe me, Larry. It makes a world of difference. For me, it reminds me that there IS love out there. We just need to embrace it. (Totally not trying to sound like a hippie)

[@mw3sharpshooter]

There wouldn't be enough cell's in prisons worldwide if we all got locked up for every mistake we ever made. This man deserves a life and forgiveness. People have murdered several innocents mercilessly and have been given lighter sentences.

[@ChristopherGray00]

To be fair just because murders happened, doesn't mean manslaughter is ok, there is a difference between extreme negligence leading up to someone's death, and a genuine accident where a person was doing all of the right things and could not reasonably prevent it from happening. I'm not sure about this specific case, but for example, if you're shooting your gun near a highway and accidentally hit someone in the head, you are still criminally and morally responsible for that person's death, it is an accident, but with extreme negligence and lack of consideration for human life, that's manslaughter.

[@billfromnxtdoor5575]

Most people's mistakes don't end with many many dead people.

[@Lizzard2060]

@@ChristopherGray00 This could have been entirely prevented from happening. It was the driver's negligence, lies, and poor choices that led to these deaths and injuries.

[@ChristopherGray00]

@@Lizzard2060 What did he lie about? Not saying you're wrong just curious

[@Lizzard2060]

@@ChristopherGray00 First off he never passed his cdl, he paid someone to take it for him. So he never actually was able to pass it on his own and earn the license to drive commercially. Then he misrepresented/lied about his abilities to his employer to take on this route when he did not have mountain driving experience and had driven only on the flats in TX. Then he lied to the police after fleeing the scene of the collision while people were burning to death. He told the PD how he had mountain driving experience when this was his first time. He omitted the fact he had troubles from the very top of the mountain all the way down proven by the calls he made to his boss and another trucker for help and knew his brakes were failing but continued anyway. He very clearly told PD he had driven this route before. Not only had that never happened but he never actually earned his license in the first place and paid a FL company approx $2500 to pass the test for him as he was unable to do it. So, he has been lying since the very start of his career in truck driving and did not have the skill set to legally be driving and then lied about his experience level and then lied to police and was very clear he expected he should only get a speeding ticket. If you know anything about a cdl . . . . .you are at fault because the expectations placed on a commercial driver are substantially higher and they are responsible for their rig when they are operating it. He lied from day 1 to the very last day and still had the nerve to turn down a 9 yr plea deal and go to trial where all of this info would come out about him. If he would have taken the deal the prosecutor and everyone else would not be all up in his business finding out this info and more. Many truckers are livid that they stood up for him and then it came out about him paying for someone to take his cdl as truckers do kind of stick together. He was never a legit trucker. He never understood his responsibilities to care for the rig or to use runaway ramps to avoid harming civilian drivers or how air brakes could overheat. He paid for his license. He really did not understand the level of responsibility he would be held to as a commercial driver over just a regular driver and the severity of what he had done. He had gotten away with lies for a long time. He pleads victim when the reality is if he were honest no one would have assigned him the route and he would have had to actually pass the cdl himself or try until he could and understand what responsibilities come with the license. This was not lying for a job at McDonalds. This was lying for a job where you are responsible for 80,000lbs at the speed of a missile going downhill and people being burned alive. His honesty would have saved lives.

[@RocknRollAddicts]

It’s been a long time since I’ve been on this channel but now that I’m back I can’t stop binging all of Larry’s videos. Thank you so much for always putting out quality content!!

[@middle-ageaintnothinbutanu4129]

The governor reduced the sentence to 10 years after 5 million signatures.

[@justaperson8385]

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@alexwatson8010]

Thank you for sharing Larry. So brutal.

[@therabbitcanada]

I read that this morning on our news here in Canada. I am shocked. So much of the US justice system has me shocked. I agree with everything you said in regards to this sentence. Larry, you are a wonderful person. Keep it up. I'd love to give you a hug for all you do.

[@garirry]

Let me just say that as someone who is licensed to drive heavy trucks: this could have happened to me or any other trucker. When you're a newbie, you're bound to make mistakes and when you're put into a dangerous situation without proper training, mistakes cause disaster. Even when I was driving I did a bunch of dumb stuff like getting stuck or taking a road you shouldn't take. Imagine now you're in his position and you're told to drive faulty equipment on dangerous roads. It's no surprise he can't handle the situation well. The cold reality is that these companies hold zero criminal responsibility for any of this, all of it goes on the driver. And they take advantage of inexperienced drivers who will either not properly do the inspections due to lack of experience or who are bound by their job insecurity and feel unable to refuse a dangerous job. Meanwhile this disgusting "tough on crime" legal system will put a non-dangerous young adult in prison for the rest of his life because "think of the victims". There's no way I'm delivering anything to the US anymore after this crap happened (I'm in Canada).

[@thegrandlevel313]

Put the employer in jail, not this poor bastard who was clearly put in a situation over his head because of the massive trucker shortage. Nobody will want to be a trucker now, and we need them MORE THAN EVER.

[@johnrathe7477]

Right on Larry

[@complexaltruist]

Thoze companies tell drivers how to avoid shit so flaws dont get seen. Or say break the law or lose your job.

[@Th3VirtualGam3r]

Everything aside, but i am laughing imagining a sub 18 year old anime chick driving a heavy truck XDD

[@jahmeirduncan6870]

@@Th3VirtualGam3r that would be a fire anime tbh

[@Archaeomom79]

UPDATE: a week after this the CO governor reduced the sentence to 10 years. I whole heartedly agree with you on this topic. Things need to change and hopefully this was a wakeup call for reform.

[@annetter2731]

Glad to hear that.. thank you for the update

[@chadjackson772]

The court railroaded him he did not deserve the tremendous amount of time smh. It's so sad to see people get done this way it's 100% unjust

[@arxhetype1828]

“100% unjust” say that to the 4 people that died , they don’t get a second chance , he should get 25 to life , end of discussion

[@bruppieo5118]

I just heard about this and at first I was like damn he must’ve been drunk. Nope. Then I was like um what the hell? Poor dude. Crazy to know you can drive sober legally and just have an accident and end up in hell for the rest of your life. Awful

[@LarryLawtonJewelThief]

My thoughts exactly.

[@jkeebla]

@@LarryLawtonJewelThief This could be anyone someday, Anybody. Even a loved one..

[@bigj200016]

Does the driver deserve to go to prison? Yes But 110 years is completely ridiculous for a crash. I have never thought there would have been this big of a split in the trucking community. Yeah the driver majorly screwed up by not ditching the truck at some point going down the mountain. He passed at least 3 runaway truck ramps after it was clear that he was out of control. And full disclosure, yes I am a truck driver who has gone down that way 2 or 3 times fully loaded.

[@Atomman1231]

he could've gotten 100 years per person he killed everyone is mad for no reason in my eyes. he was given the minimum on all of the charges. the 110 years is 100% the right sentence.

[@mathewkelly9968]

Commercial fisherman here i agree . I've got a Ships Master Class 4 which requires sea time and about a year of school , did I make mistakes when I started out running a boat myself ? Hell yes I did , no ones perfect throw the book at him for sure but 110 years is throwing the whole library at him .

[@bestlaptop_psn]

@@Atomman1231 No it's not. How more wrong can you be.

[@Atomman1231]

@@bestlaptop_psn seeing as he got the minimum for each charge i dont think im wrong he had 3 chances to go on a runaway ramp and chose not to he instead chose to drive into traffic your actions have consequences and these are his he was not driving the truck properly on that moutain and people died and got injured because of it. he deserves the 110 years anyone would be in the same spot if we made the same choices

[@bestlaptop_psn]

@@Atomman1231 He lost control of the vehicle and then reacted poorly and yes he should get a sentence but the 110 year sentence is wrong.

[@igorf7004]

Great news, the governor commuted the drivers sentence to 10 years with possibility for parole in 5!

[@danchristopher7957]

Larry... Your best video to date. Well done.

[@arch6039]

I feel like the system forgets the whole point of prison. In my opinion it's to keep bad people from doing bad things and for rehabilitation. Or at least I think that its what it should be for. Putting aside the shortcomings of the prison system. I don't belive for a second that this kid is ever going to do this again. Ever. If it was me in his shoes I don't think I'd even look at another truck again. So what's the point of 110 years. If he doesn't need to be rehabilitated and isn't going to ever do it again than we are punishing for the sake of punishing him. And if that's the only thing we are doing, 110 years is grossly ecsisive. People just need to take a breath and ask themselves: what if I made a stupid terrible mistake, should my life be over, forever

[@CobraQuotes1]

No it’s for punishment not rehabilitation

[@metro246]

Sadly the United States prison system is built for punishment and for slave labour. Rehabilitation goes against the whole system.

[@chadhenderson5514]

It's a for profit based system.

[@billywhitehead263]

This whole case is so upsetting, As someone who drives a truck myself. Sometimes things do fail after they’re inspected. Yes 4 people lost their lives. Does he deserve to lose his license, yes, does he deserve a year or 2 in a low security prison, maybe he does. He certainly doesn’t deserve to have his life taken away over one mistake that’s going to haunt him for the rest of his life. Love the content Larry. Keep up the good work!

[@weslandia2001]

Four other people got their lives taken away because of his one mistake. I agree completely that 110 years is ridiculous and unjust, but too many people here are downplaying the responsibility this man held in ending the lives and futures of these people just going about their day.

[@themagicminstrels476]

@@weslandia2001 no one is downplaying the loss of life, they are simply against taking away his life for this horrible accident.

[@ChristinaTodd1970]

I don't even think he deserves any prison. Accidents happen. Now we're criminalizing accidents?

[@saulhorowitz6216]

Aa someone who drives truck yourself how many runaway exits would pass before you say hey maybe I should get on one those things one maybe two? Would you pull onto the shoulder and then back into traffic if you knew your breaks were down? Would you go against the advice of lawyer and reject a possible 15 year deal even though you recklessly killed four people because you were only willing to accept a traffic violation? I'm just curious

[@jeffreyleise5614]

@@ChristinaTodd1970 what did he do to try and avoid it? He passed not one but three runaway ramps. He also could have put the truck in a ditch

[@yomamasman8921]

Larry really knows court stuff. Tbh if he was a lawyer, I'd hire him to be mine. He's the one that's been sentenced, he KNOWS the system.

[@sams_salad_service3653]

I don't understand how the system can just destroy someone's life because of a mistake. Why should this man be punished by a moral standpoint? It's not like you're stopping him from commiting more crimes, he didn't intend to commit the crime in the first place! It's so hard to even comprehend something like this.

[@tntcyclespdx640]

How is this more humane than a death sentence? Going to go sign the petition if I can, great video Larry!

[@sergeantmetalhead417]

I'm a 34 year truck driver this case underscores the lack of training cdl drivers are getting, big companies are actually running truck driving schools and are able to issue licenses. These people are being put on the road after a few weeks training and after 6 months they make them trainers. It's scary I can't wait to retire in a few years

[@topfloorstudio2684]

If you call 35 years "a few years" then you're on the home stretch!

[@topfloorstudio2684]

@Hakim Habib lol my bad, read that wrong and I'm looking at 30 years to retirement myself.

[@jbtornado]

Think you nailed it. Companies are getting drivers as cheap as possible and training as little now. This is what happens. He probably had no business ever passing to ever be driving.

[@B-SybrZaku-ThendHaloAirsofting]

I've seen so many deadly accidents play out with no punishment other than monetary compensation

[@JankyShack]

WTF, this should be like a 1 year sentence. Enough to send a message to truck drivers that there are serious consequences, but not so much that you basically end someone's life and discourage people from an industry that already has labor shortages. Put that guy back in a truck after a year in prison and I bet he is the safest driver on the road.

[@20P4U]

Nope he deserves to spend more than a year in jail. He failed to do his pre-trip inspection, during his trip he noticed his brakes were having problems but instead of stopping he decided to continue, he missed two runaway ramps because he didn’t want to “damage the truck”. He had plenty of opportunities to avoid what happened but he made the wrong decision each and every time. He deserves to spend some time in prison for his negligence which resulted in the death of four innocent people

[@JankyShack]

@@20P4U do you think if you personally spent 1 year in jail or 5 years in jail or 20 years for some mistakes and accidents you've done in your life it would change your behavior? How much time in prison becomes detrimental to society because when he gets out he will be totally dependent on the system and unable to work?

[@dr.vonfunkulusthecrimsonho6794]

It’s really hurt when you said he was 26 at his sentencing. I hope that he gets his freedom. No one who has an accident, that could happen to anyone, should be put in prison. The only malice here is that of the legal system!

[@zaneplatt3533]

Wasn't he way over the speed limit?

[@jeremyjoyner9796]

@@zaneplatt3533 the brakes went out as far as I know and when you’re driving downhill up in the mountains there is a massive pull even when your brakes are working (also the size of the vehicle he was driving probably caused it to become an unstoppable force). His mistake was not going down an emergency ramp. It was probably a situation where adrenaline and tunnel vision kicked in.

[@saulhorowitz6216]

Since you don't seem to know facts of this case let me share them with you he passed not one but two runaway truck exits he pulled off onto the shoulder than pulled back into traffic he also against the advice of his attorney rejected a bench trial and refused any talks of a plea deal because he was only willing to accept a minor traffic violation he made his bed and now he has to lay in it

[@gorillaau]

@@saulhorowitz6216 There was no way he was going to walk with a slap on the wrist. Through his act of stupidity he killed four people and injured plenty of others. His top speed was 85mph, due to brakes fading and finally over heating and give out. The truck either had no jake brake or that brake was defective. The company that owned the truck should also be investigated for having a faulty truck.

[@hubbablahloo1843]

@@gorillaau if memory serves me it was revealed that the Jake brake wasn't malfunctioning he just never set it. Most rigs have a Jake brake these days and it's stressed in cdl school not to over use your air brakes because they will melt if you're going down hill. He didn't have appropriate speed and gear set at the top of the hill like you are supposed to either. Nor did he do a pre trip inspection. Nor did he put his truck out of service when he had prior reported it having mechanical problems. He ignored multiple run off paths. He also tried to flee the scene of the accident. These are decisions he made and not a simple accident. Dude should have accepted the plea deal and I'm sad to hear that due to an ignorant public he might get a reduced sentence.

[@sanders555]

Hands down, cruel and unusual. I'd say it should be taken to the Supreme Court, but I don't have much faith in any of our justice systems at any level right now.

[@saulhorowitz6216]

You would have some faith if you knew any facts of the case but why actually look into things when you can just be mad on the internet

[@kennethhacker1341]

Unusual is a key word ! I wonder if the deceased have political ties...rip

[@saulhorowitz6216]

@@kennethhacker1341 I wonder if you actually know any of the facts of what actually happened here

[@HumaCorn]

@@saulhorowitz6216 ye we do and you clearly dont and your apart of the huge problem which makes the country so bad

[@saulhorowitz6216]

@@HumaCorn so you know he rode his breaks all the way down hill instead of down shifting causing them to fail? So you know he passed up 2 runaway truck exits? You know he pulled his truck back into traffic after being on the shoulder? You know he turned a bench trial that would have only saw him get a maximum 20 year sentence against the advice of his legal counsel? And I guess you also know he refused to negotiate a possible plea deal of around 15 years because he was only willing to accept a traffic violation for causing the death of 4 people? If you know all of that and still think his sentence was unfair I'm not the problem with this country

[@madtak7425]

Hey Larry, I have a couple truckers in my family, and I asked them about this. They said they know there are runaway ramps all along I70 that he could have used. And when a truck doesn't have brakes, there really isn't much the driver can do. You can force a downshift and destroy the transmission, but that takes time. You can stomp the brakes but they will burn out if you are in a runaway truck. The only other real option is to use a runaway ramp. But at the same time it's hard to keep a cool head when you can't control your vehicle. They also went on to say that it's not his fault. He checks the truck yes, it's a pre ride inspection. But the company that worked on them is at fault. It would be the exact same as if I messed up someone's brakes and they hit a pedestrian because they couldn't stop. It's my fault for negligence, and the driver will get punished but not so much as I. Simply put, this entire case is bullshit, and it really seems like they didn't actually give a shit about justice. Obviously the trucker could have made better decisions. But the brakes weren't his fault, at all.

[@jeeshhseej9347]

For someone with his CDL and is ASE certified in multiple aspects of wrenching and have worked on tractors and trailers for years now brake shoes and drums can fail in a blink of an eye even if a proper pretrip was done. Springs for brake shoes wear out, drums crack and can not be seen without having to remove tires, brake fade and glazing happens which again cant be seen without removing tires and drums. If you wanted to properly inspect a truck which i do daily normally takes about 3-6 hours and alot of tools including air tools and knowledge. Brakes failing happen so often they have run off ramps for a reason thats why i personally love disk brakes that are pretty much the norm finally for all new tractors and trailers being manufactured for now on.

[@jakemiller270]

I think what did him in was the fact he was speeding, passed 2 truck hills, and didnt let the breaks cool off. It is tough cause I think the trucking company should be taking the responsibility for sending the kid out there where he wasnt ready to drive mostly. I think he should serve concurrently considering the families accepted his apology.

[@binkwillans5138]

So if I'm out on the highway, my life depends on a semi driver letting his brakes "cool off"? Don't think so.

[@EJD339]

Yeah, I totally get that about the work place culture. A lot of companies say they care about safety but as soon as it inconveniences them, they’re willing to look the other way. Not all companies of course. It sounds like the trucker driver messed up but 110 years it insane.

[@floridajake58]

He smoked his brakes coming off that mountain too fast. I've been over that stretch of I-70 in my own rig and it's no joke; you've got steep grades and sharp curves for miles. Even though there's a lot that could have been done to prevent this horrific accident, such as performing proper pre-trips, refusing to run unsafe equipment, and keeping speed under control going down the mountain, 110 years in prison is downright medieval, let alone draconian. Twenty-seven counts of manslaughter for something that is an albeit preventable accident is completely asinine. And besides, you can clearly see in court that the guy is absolutely distraught and emotionally distressed, obvious signs of a great remorse in light of a tragic accident. Take his CDL away temporarily until he can take remedial training and pass a medical and psychiatric evaluation and then sentence him to maybe a couple years in prison, if that. That's what I think they should've done instead of taking his life away. The dude is a trucker who had an accident, not Timothy McVeigh, Osama Bin Laden, or the damn Unabomber. Sometimes I wonder about whether or not this is the United States or the fucking Soviet Union... This being said, I agree with you 100 percent. This law is fucking ridiculous and those lawmakers out there must be smoking crack.

[@ChristinaTodd1970]

Agree! It's a fucking Greek tragedy.

[@topfloorstudio2684]

Exactly what I was thinking. He rode his brakes until they glazed instead of letting the jake run and pressing the brakes hard for long enough to get around 35 mph then release & let em cool. Pure rookie is what it boils down to.

[@Alexander_Grant]

Fun fact, we have a higher population in prison than the Soviets did under Stalin. Our country is more authoritarian than the Soviets were.

[@StewyAdamRules]

@@Alexander_Grant We might have a lot of people locked up but let’s try and get facts straight before we jump to crazy conclusions. Have you ever actually done any reading up on how awful Soviet-era Russia was? You’d be begging to go back to this if you had to spend one day back then.

[@Alexander_Grant]

@@StewyAdamRules Oh I have read about it. I've read up on real historians talking about it, I've read the Gulag Archipelago, I know my Soviet history. What the prison system and what our military industrial complex has done is worse than the Soviets in that regard. Our consistent drive for profit has given us slavery in the prison system, killed who knows how many people from poor healthcare, lack of food, and lack of shelter. The authoritarian levels we're reaching here is comparable if not worse than the Soviets. Of course if we take the middle ground in the US and compare it to the worst of the Soviets anyone would rather take the US, but if you take the middle ground of the Soviets and compare it to the worst of the US, you'd much rather be in the Soviet Union.

[@pharmies]

Merry Christmas Larry keep speaking truth

[@wendzeg]

What A Man What A Video . Thank You

[@tommywilliams9414]

It’s so sad when you see people who’ve been so obviously screwed by the system. We need serious reform and quick.

[@LarryLawtonJewelThief]

Very true Tommy

[@JabrieldaGoat]

I know man, situations like this cannot slide in our justice system. It makes no sense.

[@JessicaKent]

On point 👏

[@LarryLawtonJewelThief]

This is outrageous Jess, our system is soooo broken.

[@steele_heart77]

Fancy seeing you here, Jess. Love your videos!

[@LarryLawtonJewelThief]

@@steele_heart77 That's my girl

[@deeznutz._.]

I would like to see his log book driver can only drive so many HR so most truck driver speed to get there miles up and if a driver is speeding and get in a life changing accident they should get life how many times has a truck blew past you cuz they are running out of hrs to drive so they get there miles up most truckers get pared by the mile not the HR tho they must rest for so long and can be on the road for so long the log book will tell the truth

[@steele_heart77]

@@deeznutz._. Yet another argument against the industry, which is why I believe the company should be held liable for negligence. But even if the company is held accountable, the law itself is unjust. There was no intent, there was no premeditation, it was simply an accident. Two or three years is more reasonable, but no one should have their entire life taken away from them for a simple mistake.

[@stefandewbre9374]

I love your videos so much you remind me of a great man I knew sadly he died of cancer so it’s nice to have someone like him.

[@mixgashaulass2988]

Damnnn Larry’s going off this time and I’m all for it 🔥 so much common sense that needed to just be said

[@adampowellbaybay2620]

I'm so glad you did a video on this what a cruel sentence to give this guy

[@LarryLawtonJewelThief]

Beyond cruel, barbaric

[@gavdobs]

I was pretty shocked at first but it sounds like he passed several runaway truck ramps as well as repeatedly ignoring signs his brakes were overheating. He also closed his eyes and gave up control of the truck instead of driving off the road. There's more to this story that I don't think people realize

[@kylesweeney929]

Maybe because he was fuckin scared dude?? He was an inexperienced truck driver that the company doesnt care about

[@MarsofAritia]

@@kylesweeney929 if i panicked and floored it into a line of pedestrians instead of stopping or trying to avoid them saying I was scared is not an excuse.

[@christopherdisorbo4964]

@@MarsofAritia flooring it would indicate an intention to speed up. This guy made a mistake, he needs to pay his debt but 110 years for an accident is absolutely insane. Why end a 5th life in this accident?

[@MarsofAritia]

@@christopherdisorbo4964 I've seen panicked drivers floor it instead of braking

[@gamenightwithjamiibo]

Larry, I just started binge watching all your videos. I’m in love with your channel. Where can I get your book? I’m trying to find it.

[@daniellenard2872]

Thank you Larry for doing the good work . You’re an American hero by service to our country and even in this service it’s still for our country . Merry Christmas walkin larry

[@tidan4575]

Larry! What blows me away is that they're sentencing this dude for 110 years in prison but no one at the higher offices in Boeing got charged for 300+ counts of involuntary manslaughter!? WTF!!!

[@tidan4575]

@16bit Classics Yeah and it needs to change or we're all going to hell.

[@Wish_I_was_Righteous]

@@tidan4575 Everyone on their way to hell, but Jesus Christ is here to save you from that road.

[@stoneyhollow]

This blows my mind. Just awful. Larry I hope you and your family have a merry Christmas my friend.

[@LarryLawtonJewelThief]

Same to you and your family. It is incidents like this that make me realize tomorrow is truly never promised.

[@stoneyhollow]

@@LarryLawtonJewelThief 100% agree. In the last six months I can’t even tell you how many hours of your content I have watched. The one thing I’ve taken away from your channel is to think through every action that I make because even the slightest accident could cost you or somebody else a life.

[@pablovegas743]

I have a friend that is a trucker, and he told me a story that goes like: He was on a truck parking resting for a bit, when a man on alcohol and drugs crashed whit his motorcycle in his truck and died on the spot. My friend was sued for that and lost. He didn't go to jail or prison,but had to pay a heafty sum for someone that crashed in his truck while he was fucking parked.

[@emilyapricot1313]

As a truck driver, I am touched by the humanity in here.

[@ricky-sanchez]

Larry: "We must look like the most barbaric country in the world." America, the only country where we call each other savage on a daily basis.

[@jimmyjung9510]

Great channel:) Not sure how a random Brit like myself came across it, but you are absolutely right re the US criminal justice system. It's often way too unforgiving. This case is a great example. Love the insights into prison life in the US too. You are a great story teller with the bonus of having great stories to tell.

[@michaelpeterson10]

You speak the minds of the people my Friend. Keep using this platform for the truth. Keep it up larry

[@paulstoeckle7873]

Love your focus on injustice. It truly is a tragic system, and for far too many decent people. You’re a standup guy, Larry. Love the channel.

[@7even917]

I personally feel this needs to be seen on a much bigger scale. Hearing this breaks my heart I really hope this video blows up because the judges in this case just make me sick Thankyou for your wisdom and Larry I really hope you can make a difference for this guy 🙏🏽

[@limpfish8206]

Dude killed 4 people

[@Lizzard2060]

Judge gave the mandatory state minimums only and stated he would give him less but couldn't as he had to follow the law. The judge did not chose the time. The laws in the state did along with the crimes the man committed and he was guilty of those crimes.

[@user-Ghost404]

@@limpfish8206 don’t try to reason with these people. They are the real sheeps calling the wolves sheep. Larry gives off this reformed dad vibe but he don’t know it ain’t fooling anyone. Well it’s fooling the people who are gullible. You know the people that would forgive a serial killer if they rehearsed poetry…Larry is a scumbag felon let’s not forget that. Once a felon always a felon.

[@Harrisongarrison0800]

@@user-Ghost404 it’s sad to see most his audience are morally corrupt with wokeness. Be it a white male and he’d be dead by now. Not that it’s a race thing just seems weird he’s spreading such a wholesome dad vibe . Very dishonest and shady behaviour. I’m sure he’d say the same if it was his love ones dead from a fire this trucker caused .

[@user-Ghost404]

@@Harrisongarrison0800 well to quote more lyrics for you to help understand Larry. “If pyrus an crips all got along they’d probably gun me down by the end of this song” only people who are old heads an people scared of jail watch Larry’s vids.

[@ym66swa2]

As a australian im amazed to see the bs in the US. here in australia that would probably be a manslaughter charge probabaly for 1-2 years.

[@kermitthefraud700]

The land down under is definitely more civilized.

[@kylesweeney929]

@@kermitthefraud700 not when it comes to covid

[@elizabethjay583]

Larry is so intelligent and so powerful with his knowledge and experience. Please never stop advocating for these people

[@basilio7947]

Youre the man Mr. Lawton. Speaking your opinion with REAL common sense, reason,,and empathy. I appreciate your understanding that prisons and law and order are neccessary, while understanding how fucked up and ineffective our system is.

[@pfury67]

Judge needed to put his career on the line over this. If the judge said 5 years, who the hell would want to fight that. Anyhow, Gov, now in your court.

[@LarryLawtonJewelThief]

Yep, The Governor is in the hotseat. Lets blame the prosecutor who knew what could ahve hapened.

[@Master_Ed]

Was just watching this, in my opinion it's kind of demotivating knowing an accident caused by faulty machinery can result in a long sentence; Sure 4 people died but I'm pretty sure with truckers there are companies who maintain the trucks and if the brakes didn't work, then wouldn't the company be responsible unless the driver had played around with the brakes before hand? edit - Well thanks for the information, I don't know anything about trucking but I guess I was wrong in my statement

[@LarryLawtonJewelThief]

I agree, this is so crazy

[@bryangrivno]

Actually no it falls onto the drivers we have a check list we have to go through daily

[@pillager278]

I think technically you are responsible for checking your rig, im not a trucker but my uncle does it for his own company. I know to get the cdl you have to go through a multi point checklist and if you miss something on it then you fail the test and have to come back and do it again. This could just be Indiana though, I can't speak for other states

[@andrewborrs9443]

@@bryangrivno Also knowing how to properly drive down a long hill or mountain, Doing so wrong and this will happen. Not to mention passing at least one truck runaway ramp.

[@adrianalexandrov7730]

Any brakes would malfunction on a long steep descend if you use them incorrectly. Especially on a loaded truck. Plus the guy missed the runaway ramp. Sentence is absurd, but it's not like the guy is innocent

[@dannyalbin7241]

I agree with you 110 years is just straight ridiculous. I think this is an example of a very flawed system. First off from what I heard about that company they had alot of dot violations and apparently this guy's truck was having problems. Second of all it is federal law for truck drivers to do a pre trip inspection everyday and the driver admitted he didn't do it. Also the driver did have multiple runaway truck ramps and didn't use them. He does deserve prison time but not 110 years. It is way ridiculous. Plus being a truck driver myself I 70 west of Denver is the most treacherous stretch of interstate in the country and you do not send a rookie driver that way. I've ran that stretch of road many times and it's not for the inexperienced driver so his company should've never had him up there.

[@epicjulian99]

Heads up to anyone that hasn't kept up with it, the truck driver's sentence was reduced to 10 years on Dec. 30th thanks to Gov. Polis granting the driver commutation

[@wingofshu]

Trucking business in general is scary at times right now And every country has their extreme law cases that make others go wtf, not saying its right, it just is

[@LarryLawtonJewelThief]

So true but this is out there and can be fixed

[@mkultra4316]

"They can't do that!" When I was a teenager, my dad (who worked as a county jail guard at the time) told me a litany of stories about police abuse and corruption. He said there would be guards flying into a cell tearing the thing apart and then the inmate would get in trouble for having a disorganized cell. Or an inmate would be passing a kidney stone and if the guard was feeling nice that day the inmate /might/ get a glass of water. No doctor though. I hope for the day when the law works for the citizens and not the other way around. "Justice for me but not for thee"

[@roro-jj1fv]

Well if he knew that abuses happened and did nothing he is as guilty as the abusers just like a leo who knows of actions of a bad cop says nothing then that leo is also a bad cop

[@mkultra4316]

@@roro-jj1fv He tried, got stonewalled, then eventually quit. I agree though, the blue silence or whatever it's called is a huge problem.

[@toddmarble6217]

MERRY CHRISTMAS Larry. To you and your family and friends. I love your Common Sense messages. This one in particular. Your message is right on the mark. In my view (And I served a small amount of time in my life being incarcerated), the #1 Problem is this: Our Political establishment and law makers "Love" the fact that their respective constituents are too busy in their day to day lives or these people do not want to pay attention to issues such as this, our Politicians take full advantage by making rediculous laws and They Just only care about their Politically expediency. This is absolutely Abysmal!!

[@perpetualgrowtheveninsnow3389]

In 2019 a guy ran a stop sign in a semi and hit a youth hockey team. Devastating. 16 kids killed, 13 injured. He got 8 years here. Parents were in vehicles behind and saw it happen. Rest in peace Humboldt. People talked about deporting him because he was a landed immigrant but many families with passed kids fought for him to stay. It was beautiful. I almost died when I saw this sentence. What is gained? This young man needs help. It's just so sad & wrong.

[@rutontuton]

Part of the fault was that there were 2 or 3 runaway ramps that this driver passed after discovering that his breaks were not working. There is no question he was negligent, however I also agree that a life sentence is extreme. The question is; where do you draw the line? How long is enough to send a message and yet be fair? A real can of worms.

[@Harrisongarrison0800]

Any normal person would say at least 10 but a do gooder like the man above 2-4 🤣 joke

[@KineticSymphony]

Exactly. He is guilty of reckless endangerment and of involuntary manslaughter. But 110 years is insane. 10 years, maybe? Even that's harsh.

[@typicalcanyon1283]

Ok, but how do you deal with faulty brakes on a 16 ton< truck down a road at roughly 60mph. If he goes up the ramp, his momentum is just gonna carry him back down the other side, because I am pretty certain that those ramps are not very big. He’s on the freeway so it’s not like He is able to just slam the shifter into first gear to slow down, all that would do is cause a pile up.

[@remizu2901]

mans acting like you can easily go down a runway ramp in a 10 ton vehicle at like 100mph with a ton of stress

[@PBMS123]

Do you drive a truck, have you used one at 100mph?

[@PCDelorian]

Speaking as a Brit, this is insane. We would give him, at most, 3 years, if he was held to be careless. If he was held to be dangerous (far below the standard of a competent driver as opposed to merely careless) he'd get a maximum of 7 years in practice. Technically its 5 and 14 respectively but in practice its 3 or 7. In really bad cases it might be charged as manslaughter but realistically it would be seen as Death by Careless or Inconsiderate Driving or, at a real stretch, Death by Dangerous Driving. Edit - Also we have mandatory minimums for very few cases, the judge can always disregard that minimum for exceptional cases, with the sole exception of murder. For murder the only sentence allowed is life, but there is no lower limit on the minimum tariff, although guidelines are used to determine the fair sentence.

[@gorillaau]

I read that he had a restricted CDL tor the state of Texas only, due to his poor command command of the English language. He needing more practical training experience.

[@chrissimmonds4898]

You said everything that needed to be said in the first 3 minutes of this video

[@Imyup]

I appreciate this vid.