Lemaster faces up to 12 years in Tour de Fat crash case

Van Edward Lemaster appeared before Judge Daniel McDonald on Thursday to answer seven counts connected to the August 29 collision that killed Joshua Douglass. The hearing marked the first formal step in a case that carries a potential prison term of two to six years, or up to 12 years if aggravating factors are proven. Lemaster, 88, sat beside his attorney and used a headset to listen as the judge read the charges: one count of vehicular homicide, four counts of vehicular assault, and two counts of reckless endangerment. He told the court he understood the sentencing range.

The accident occurred on Mountain Avenue in Old Town Fort Collins as the Tour de Fat bicycle parade was concluding. According to the arrest affidavit, Lemaster was trying to back his Chevrolet Silverado out of a parking spot when he struck another vehicle. Investigators state he then accelerated onto a sidewalk and an outdoor patio where pedestrians were gathered, hitting several people. Douglass later died from his injuries.

The affidavit notes that Lemaster told a hospital officer he had tried to back out several times before deciding to "just gun it" to escape the space. Vehicle data cited by investigators showed the accelerator was fully depressed as the truck moved forward.

The case highlights the risks faced by pedestrians and cyclists when large vehicles maneuver in crowded public spaces. The crash left one person dead and several others injured, a toll that now moves into the legal system for resolution.

Lemaster is scheduled to return to court at 10 a.m. on December 8.