Elderly Driver Faces Court Over Fatal Parade Crash

An 88-year-old man accused of driving a pickup into a crowd of festival-goers made his first court appearance on Thursday, facing seven charges for an August incident that resulted in one death and multiple injuries. Van Edward Lemaster was arraigned regarding his involvement in the crash, which took place during the conclusion of a bicycle parade.

The timeline of events begins on August 29, when the Tour de Fat parade was wrapping up in Old Town Fort Collins. According to court documents, Lemaster was operating a Chevrolet Silverado in a parking area when the vehicle struck another car. Investigators state that following this initial contact, the truck accelerated onto a sidewalk and an adjacent patio, striking pedestrians who were gathered at the outdoor venue. Joshua Douglass was among those hit and later died from his injuries.

During the arraignment, Judge Daniel McDonald outlined the specific charges brought against Lemaster: one count of vehicular homicide, four counts of vehicular assault, and two counts of reckless endangerment. The judge also detailed the potential consequences for these accusations, noting that a vehicular homicide conviction carries a prison term ranging from two to six years, which could increase to twelve years if aggravating factors are established. Lemaster, wearing a headset to follow the proceedings, affirmed to the court that he understood these penalties.

Evidence cited in the arrest affidavit details the moments leading up to the collision. At a hospital following the event, Lemaster reportedly told an officer that he had made several attempts to exit the parking space before he 'just gunned it' to leave. Data retrieved from the vehicle's system corroborated this account, indicating that the accelerator was fully depressed as the truck moved forward.

Lemaster is scheduled to return to the courtroom for a subsequent hearing at 10 a.m. on December 8.