Van Lemaster booked on vehicular homicide charge in fatal Fort Collins crash

Van Lemaster of Cheyenne was booked into the Larimer County Jail Oct. 16 on a vehicular homicide charge and other counts, Fort Collins Police Services said. He drove a pickup onto a sidewalk in the 100 block of West Mountain Avenue and struck people walking, killing one.

Fort Collins Police Services said it presented the investigation to the Larimer County District Attorney’s Office for review, and the office accepted 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. All charges are accusations by law enforcement, and Lemaster is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court, the department said.

The driver reversed the Chevrolet pickup from a parking spot along Mountain Avenue and hit another vehicle. He then drove forward onto the sidewalk, struck people walking, hit a tree and stopped on the sidewalk on the south side of the street next to a business, police said. One person walking was pronounced dead, and six people, including the driver, were transported with various injuries to area hospitals for treatment. “This was an incredibly tragic crash that affected many in our community,” said Fort Collins Police Chief Jeff Swoboda.

Fort Collins Police Services completed its investigation into the fatal crash that occurred Aug. 29 in the 100 block of West Mountain Avenue. The department’s Collision Reconstruction and Scene Handling (CRASH) Team took over because the crash was fatal. Investigators ruled out impairment as a factor in the collision, the department said.