Judge details prison terms for driver in fatal parade crash

Judge Daniel McDonald outlined potential prison sentences of up to 12 years for Van Edward Lemaster during the driver's first court appearance on Thursday. Lemaster, 88, entered a not guilty plea to seven charges related to a crash that occurred on August 29.

The charges include one count of vehicular homicide, four counts of vehicular assault, and two counts of reckless endangerment. McDonald explained that vehicular homicide carries a sentence of two to six years, or as much as 12 years if aggravating circumstances are found. Lemaster, who sat beside his attorney using a headset to follow the proceedings, stated he understood the possible penalties.

The collision took place on Mountain Avenue in Old Town Fort Collins as the Tour de Fat bicycle parade was concluding. According to the arrest affidavit, Lemaster was reversing his Chevrolet Silverado from a parking space when it struck another vehicle. Investigators reported that he subsequently accelerated onto a sidewalk and an outdoor patio where pedestrians were gathered, striking several individuals before Joshua Douglass died of his injuries.

The affidavit notes that Lemaster told an officer at the hospital he had attempted to reverse multiple times before deciding to "just gun it" to exit the space. Data from the vehicle indicated the accelerator was fully depressed as the truck moved forward. Lemaster is scheduled to return to court at 10 a.m. on Dec. 8.

The hearing marked the formal start of the legal process following the incident, which left one person dead and several others injured. The court set the stage for further proceedings as the case moves toward its next scheduled date.