An 88-year-old Cheyenne man was arrested Friday, nearly seven weeks after police say his pickup backed into a vehicle, drove forward onto a busy downtown Fort Collins, Colorado, sidewalk and plowed into pedestrians before finally stopping against a tree.
One man died. Several other people were hurt.
Now Van Lemaster faces seven criminal charges, including felony vehicular homicide and four counts of felony vehicular assault.
Fort Collins Police Services announced Lemaster’s arrest Friday after an investigation into the Aug. 29 crash along Mountain Avenue in the heart of downtown Fort Collins, near Walrus Ice Cream.
Police say impairment was ruled out.
They also said shortly after the crash that investigators did not believe the pedestrians were intentionally targeted.
Police have not said what caused Lemaster and his Chevrolet pickup to end up on the sidewalk. Cowboy State Daily reached out Friday seeking more information about what investigators believe happened behind the wheel.
Onto The Sidewalk
The first 911 calls came in at about 11:44 a.m. Aug. 29.
Police said numerous people were in the area because of a special event nearby.
Lemaster was backing his Chevrolet pickup out of a parking space when he struck another vehicle, investigators said.
Then the pickup went forward.
Fort Collins Police said it traveled onto the sidewalk and struck multiple pedestrians before hitting a tree and coming to a stop.
Six people, including Lemaster, were transported to area hospitals with injuries.
One of the pedestrians did not survive.
Because the crash was fatal, the Fort Collins Police Collision Reconstruction and Scene Handling Team took over the investigation.
Mountain Avenue between College Avenue and Mason Street was shut down for about six hours as investigators documented and processed the scene.
Denver Man Killed
The Larimer County Coroner’s Office later identified the man killed as Joshua Robert Douglass, 33, of Denver.
Douglass was taken from the scene to Poudre Valley Hospital, where he died.
A forensic autopsy performed Sept. 1 determined he died from multiple blunt-force injuries. His death was classified as an accident.
An obituary published by his family says he was known to family and friends as Josh or Joshie.
Douglass was remembered as funny, generous and kind, with a particular talent for turning ordinary moments into stories.
Once, when relatives flew into New York, he showed up at the airport to pick them up dressed as an alligator.
On the day he was killed in Fort Collins, he was dressed as a strawberry.
His family summed it up simply in his obituary: “It was quintessential Josh.”
He loved traveling, skiing, the ocean and taking what his obituary described as the unexpected path. He also was a beloved uncle to numerous nieces and nephews, the obituary said.
In the days after his death, flowers, notes and colorful yarn began accumulating around the tree outside Walrus Ice Cream where the pickup came to a stop.
Lutheran Church Charities’ Hearts of Mercy & Compassion ministry also placed a large wooden heart and cross at the memorial. Community members covered the heart with handwritten messages before it was given to Douglass’ family.
“We want them to know they are not alone as they grieve their loss,” Sarah Sekki, director of LCC Hearts of Mercy & Compassion ministry, told Cowboy State Daily.
Sekki said the heart carried a verse from Psalm 34:18, with what she described as the promise that “God is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
Seven Charges
Police announced Friday their investigation resulted in Lemaster’s arrest.
Investigators ruled out impairment before presenting the completed case to the Larimer County District Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors accepted seven charges against the Cheyenne man: One count of Class 4 felony vehicular homicide, four counts of Class 5 felony vehicular assault and two counts of Class 2 misdemeanor reckless endangerment.
Lemaster was booked into the Larimer County Jail on Friday.
In a video statement posted Friday as police announced the charges, Fort Collins Police Chief Jeff Swoboda thanked the community for its patience while investigators worked to “determine exactly what happened.”
He called the arrest a significant development but said it could not undo the damage.
“While today is a significant step towards accountability, we know that it doesn’t erase the pain that has been caused for so many of you,” Swoboda said.
“We know that there are friends and families and loved ones whose lives have been forever changed.”
Advisement
The Colorado Judicial Branch’s court docket shows Lemaster was scheduled for a hearing on advisement at 1:30 p.m. Friday,
A livestream of the proceeding was not available.
His next court appearance is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Oct. 22 at the Larimer County Justice Center in Fort Collins.
Cowboy State Daily has requested the probable-cause affidavit and other court records detailing the allegations against Lemaster.
Those records were not available before publication.
The Class 4 felony vehicular homicide charge alone carries a presumptive sentence of two to six years under Colorado law.
In his statement on Friday, Swoboda said the department’s responsibility does not end with an arrest or the conclusion of its investigation.
“We want to continue to be a source of comfort and relief for those who are hurting,” he said. “Our thoughts continue to be with you.”
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information is available.
Kolby Fedore can be reached at kolby@cowboystatedaily.com.
