Fort Collins driver faces 12-year max in deadly parade crash

Van Edward Lemaster stood before Judge Daniel McDonald on Thursday to answer for the Aug. 29 crash that killed Joshua Douglass during the Tour de Fat.

The 88-year-old driver pleaded not guilty to all seven charges. The case includes one count of vehicular homicide, four counts of vehicular assault, and two counts of reckless endangerment.

McDonald explained the sentencing range for the homicide count. The statute calls for two to six years in prison. The judge noted the term can reach 12 years if aggravating circumstances are found. Lemaster, wearing a hearing aid headset, confirmed he understood the potential penalties.

Investigators say Lemaster struck another vehicle while trying to back his Chevrolet Silverado from a parking spot on Mountain Avenue. He then accelerated onto a sidewalk and an outdoor patio where pedestrians had gathered as the bicycle parade ended.

The arrest affidavit quotes Lemaster telling a hospital officer he tried to reverse several times before he "just gunned it" to leave the space. Vehicle data showed the accelerator was fully depressed as the truck moved forward.

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