Judge details prison stakes for elderly driver

Van Edward Lemaster entered a not guilty plea on Thursday to seven counts stemming from a fatal vehicle crash in Fort Collins. The hearing took place nearly two months after the Aug. 29 incident that killed Joshua Douglass and injured several others.

Judge Daniel McDonald reviewed the specific charges with the defendant, who sat beside his attorney and used a headset to follow the proceedings. The court listed one count of vehicular homicide, four counts of vehicular assault, and two counts of reckless endangerment. Lemaster indicated he understood the sentencing guidelines.

The judge explained the financial and custodial stakes of the case. A conviction for vehicular homicide carries a prison term of two to six years. If the court finds aggravating circumstances, the maximum sentence rises to 12 years.

The accident happened on Mountain Avenue in Old Town Fort Collins during the closing stages of the Tour de Fat bicycle parade. According to the arrest affidavit, Lemaster attempted to back his Chevrolet Silverado out of a parking space. He struck another vehicle before accelerating onto a sidewalk and an outdoor patio where pedestrians were gathered.

Douglass died from his injuries. The affidavit notes that Lemaster told a hospital officer he tried to reverse several times before he “just gunned it” to exit the space. Investigators cited 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.