Elderly driver faces maximum twelve years

An 88-year-old man faces a maximum prison sentence of twelve years for killing a pedestrian during a bicycle parade in Fort Collins. Van Edward Lemaster made his first court appearance on Thursday, roughly two months after the August 29 incident that left one person dead and several others injured.

Judge Daniel McDonald reviewed seven counts against Lemaster during the hearing. The charges include one count of vehicular homicide, four counts of vehicular assault, and two counts of reckless endangerment. The judge explained that vehicular homicide carries a base sentence of two to six years. However, the term increases to a maximum of twelve years if aggravating circumstances are found. Lemaster, who used a headset to hear the proceedings, stated he understood these potential penalties.

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

Police records indicate the accelerator was fully depressed as the truck moved forward. At the hospital, Lemaster told an officer he tried to back out several times before he 'just gunned it' to leave the space. He is scheduled to return to court at 10 a.m. on December 8.