88-year-old faces seven charges after Fort Collins parade crash

An 88-year-old man stood before a judge on Thursday, nearly two months after his truck plowed into a crowd at a Fort Collins bicycle parade, resulting in one death and multiple injuries. Van Edward Lemaster faces seven criminal charges stemming from the incident on Aug. 29.

The crash occurred on Mountain Avenue in Old Town Fort Collins as the Tour de Fat event was concluding. According to the arrest affidavit, Lemaster was backing a Chevrolet Silverado out of a parking spot when he struck another vehicle. Investigators report he then accelerated onto a sidewalk and an outdoor patio where pedestrians were gathered. Joshua Douglass died from injuries sustained in the collision.

Lemaster sat beside his attorney during the hearing, wearing a headset to follow the proceedings. Judge Daniel McDonald read the charges, which include one count of vehicular homicide, four counts of vehicular assault, and two counts of reckless endangerment. The judge explained the sentencing guidelines, noting that vehicular homicide carries a prison term of two to six years, or up to 12 years if aggravating circumstances are established. Lemaster told the court he understood the potential penalties.

Police records indicate Lemaster told a hospital officer that he had attempted to reverse out of the space several times before accelerating quickly to leave. The affidavit cites vehicle data showing the accelerator was fully depressed as the truck moved forward. Lemaster is scheduled to return to court at 10 a.m. on Dec. 8.