"Just Gunned It"

Apparent road rage led to the death of 33-year-old Joshua Douglass and injuries to six others in downtown Fort Collins on August 29th, 2026, after an 88-year-old driver, frustrated by passing cyclists and motorists, told investigators he “just gunned it.”

Newly obtained court records reveal that Van Edward Lemaster of Cheyenne, Wyoming, pressed his truck’s accelerator to 99% while reversing into traffic and again while driving onto the sidewalk. Vehicle data shows he continued accelerating through the sharp left-hand turn, with the truck’s engine management system temporarily reducing power before throttle returned to 99%. Investigators determined that his accelerator input would have overridden the truck’s automatic emergency braking system. Investigators found no known mechanical defects, and toxicology testing detected no intoxicants in his blood.

According to an October 13th arrest warrant affidavit, Lemaster faces seven criminal counts, including vehicular homicide, vehicular assault and reckless endangerment. He was arrested and booked into the Larimer County Jail on October 16th and released later that day on a $75,000 personal recognizance bond, without posting cash. His next court appearance is scheduled for December 8th.

The Crash Sequence

The crash occurred at approximately 11:40 a.m. on August 29th, 2026, just as the Tour de Fat bicycle parade concluded and hundreds of cyclists and motorists were traveling eastbound on Mountain Avenue. Lemaster and his companion, Mary Mues, had shopped at the Farmer’s Market earlier that morning before eating lunch at The Rio Grande Restaurant.

Lemaster’s 2021 Chevrolet Silverado (Wyoming license plate 2T-92OU) was parked facing southeast in a diagonal space on the south side of Mountain Avenue between The Rio Grande and Walrus Ice Cream. A witness reported seeing a woman matching Mues’ description standing near the rear of the truck attempting to stop passing bicyclists and stating, “We aren’t a part of this,” and “We just want to leave.”

As Lemaster attempted to back out of the diagonal spot, he stopped to yield to eastbound bicycles and traffic. Lemaster later told Officer B. Stotler at the hospital that he tried to back out three or four times before he “just gunned it” to exit the parking space.

Black-Box and Camera Data

On September 14th, investigators executed a search warrant on the Silverado and downloaded pre-crash data from the truck’s Airbag Control Module (ACM) and Front Camera Module (FCM), which used the truck’s final impact with a tree as the 0.0-second reference mark.

The electronic data and witness statements established the following sequence:

Reversing Impact (-4.5 Seconds): Lemaster depressed the accelerator pedal to 99% while in reverse. Traveling backward approximately 8 feet, the truck reached 11 mph and struck the rear passenger door of a passing eastbound Nissan Altima driven by Jacob Courtney, pushing the car’s rear tires northward across the pavement.

Forward Acceleration onto Sidewalk: Witnesses reported that after hitting the Nissan, Lemaster revved the engine aggressively, shifted into drive, and squealed the tires. ACM data confirmed Lemaster again depressed the accelerator pedal to 99%, accelerating the truck from 0 mph to a peak speed of 21 mph in less than 3 seconds as it traveled 58 feet in a left-hand arc onto the south sidewalk.

Possible Stability Control Intervention (-3.0 to -2.0 Seconds): Between -3.0 and -2.5 seconds before hitting the tree, the engine throttle dropped from 68% to 40%. Investigators noted that this temporary reduction in engine power could be explained by activation of General Motors’ StabiliTrak electronic stability control system during the sharp turn. The recorded engine throttle percentage subsequently increased to 99% at -2.0 seconds before dropping to 50% at -1.0 seconds.

Investigators’ Determination on Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB): The truck’s Front Camera Module detected adult pedestrians (Douglass, Karen Manley, Aust and Ryan Manley) 23 feet ahead while the truck was approaching at 9 mph (15 feet per second). Although the Silverado’s AEB system was active and set to “Alert and Brake” (capable of stopping the truck in less than 6 feet under existing conditions), investigators determined that Lemaster’s accelerator input would have overridden the automatic braking system. They concluded the truck could have stopped before striking the pedestrians had the system not been overridden.

Final Second Inputs (-1.0 to 0.0 Seconds): Accelerator pedal pressure dropped to 0% at -1.0 seconds before hitting the tree, then increased back to 65% at -0.5 seconds prior to impact.

Sidewalk Impacts and Victim Injuries

As the Silverado left the roadway and turned east onto the south sidewalk, the driver’s side struck a bolted handicapped parking sign and three bicycles locked to it. The impact broke the bolts securing the sign to the ground and launched the bicycles onto the hood of a parked Chrysler Pacifica minivan owned by Rani Robison.

Continuing across the sidewalk outside Walrus Ice Cream, the truck struck multiple pedestrians and tore the patio’s metal railing from its ground anchors before colliding with a tree and coming to a stop:

Joshua Douglass (33): Struck by the front of the truck, knocked to the ground, and dragged underneath, coming to rest a few feet in front of the vehicle. He was transported to Poudre Valley Hospital (PVH) and pronounced deceased at 12:15 p.m.

Karen Manley (25): Standing with Douglass when pushed into the metal railing and dragged under the passenger side of the truck, where the front wheel rolled over her lower torso. She was trapped beneath the truck when it stopped and was transported to Medical Center of the Rockies (MCR) for emergency surgery on broken bones in her pelvis and legs.

Olivia Aust (22): Struck by the front of the truck and pushed up and over the metal railing into the Walrus Ice Cream patio. She was transported to PVH with serious bodily injuries to her leg and face, including broken teeth.

Oakley Kee (3): Sitting with her family in the Walrus Ice Cream outdoor patio when the truck pushed the broken metal railing into her, knocking her to the ground. She was evaluated by EMS on scene for bodily injury.

Niroj Bhattarai & Kanta Prasai: Walking on the sidewalk with their dog when struck by the driver’s side of the turning truck. Both were transported to MCR; Prasai sustained bodily injury when knocked to the ground, and Bhattarai suffered serious bodily injury, including a broken foot after the driver’s side front wheel rolled over his foot and broken ribs from the impact with the front of the truck.

Kenneth Ortiz (62): Walking near Bhattarai when struck by the driver’s side mirror and knocked down. He told investigators he landed on another man, believed to be Bhattarai. He sought medical care the following day, and investigators learned on October 5th that his injuries met the threshold for serious bodily injury.

Toxicology and Mechanical Findings

Lemaster was transported by ambulance to PVH for a head injury and evaluated for impairment. He admitted to consuming one 12-ounce can of beer with lunch, and investigators noted he is a known diabetic who takes several prescription medications.

Lemaster consented to a blood draw at PVH before being released later that day. Toxicology testing conducted by NMS Labs recorded no intoxicants in his blood. A subsequent mechanical inspection of the Silverado and its controls found no known mechanical defects that would have contributed to the crash.

Arrest, Bond, and Upcoming Court Dates

Lemaster was booked at the Larimer County Jail on Friday, October 16th, at 5:42 a.m. Following an initial bond hearing that afternoon at 1:30 p.m., he was released on a $75,000 Personal Recognizance (PR) bond.

A PR bond (often called a signature bond) allows a defendant to be released from custody without posting cash or paying a bail bondsman upfront. Instead, the defendant signs a legal agreement promising to appear at all future court proceedings and comply with pretrial release conditions. Failure to comply can result in revocation of release and potential financial consequences.

Following a court appearance on Thursday, October 22nd, in Larimer County District Court (Case No. 2026CR1390), Lemaster is scheduled to return for an in-person disposition hearing on Tuesday, December 8th, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. in Courtroom 4B at the Fort Collins Justice Center.

What Happens at the Disposition Hearing

At the December 8th disposition hearing, the court will review the status of the case, including any progress toward a potential plea agreement. The hearing could result in additional proceedings being scheduled.