The non-profit Mothers Against Drunk Driving launched a petition Monday to have "affluenza" teen Ethan Couch tried as an adult for a fatal DUI crash that claimed four lives in 2013.
A Texas judge sentenced Couch to 10 years of probation after he was convicted of four counts of intoxication manslaughter for the crash in Burleson, Texas. During his trial, his defense argued he suffered from "affluenza," meaning he was raised in such privilege he was unable to understand the consequences of his actions.
"Couch, an underage drunk driver who hit and killed four people and injured several others, was never held responsible for his actions," MADD wrote on its petition.
The anti-drunken driving organization sought 30,000 signatures. By Tuesday morning, it had 26,000.
"The nation has watched with anger and disdain as Couch continues to show blatant disregard for the law," MADD wrote in its petition. "The families impacted will never have their loved ones back. Couch must be treated like the adult he is."
Tarrant County District Attorney Sharen Wilson previously said officials want to revoke Couch's juvenile sentence and try him again as an adult. Failing that he will serve a four-month term and be released on his birthday in April.
Couch fled his sentence in December 2015 after a video surfaced of him apparently at a party with alcohol, a violation of his probation. He has since been apprehended in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where he was allegedly hiding out with his mother.
He continued to fight extradition from Mexico to the U.S. Tuesday.
