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Fatal Tour de Fat crash leaves FoCo community in mourning, coroner confirms identity of person killed

Chloe Rios and Claire VanDeventer
September 2, 2026
Collegian | Leeann Albers
A tree on a sidewalk outside of Walrus Ice Cream in Old Town, Fort Collins is decorated with ropes, flowers and notes from the community as a memorial to the Tour de Fat crash Sept. 1. The crash resulted in the death of one person and injury of five others.

Saturday, Aug. 29, Fort Collins residents gathered in Old Town for New Belgium Brewing’s annual Tour de Fat bicycle parade and festival. 

At approximately 11:44 a.m., near the end of the bicycle parade, a Chevrolet pickup truck drove onto the sidewalk at Mountain Avenue and College Avenue and struck a group of pedestrians before colliding with a tree and coming to a stop in front of Walrus Ice Cream. It is unclear whether the struck pedestrians or truck driver were participants of Tour de Fat.

According to a press release from Fort Collins Police Services media relations released later on the day of the crash, multiple calls to 911 were made soon after the collision. All six people, including the driver, were transported to local hospitals for treatment of various injuries. One of the pedestrians was later pronounced dead.

A Facebook post from the Larimer County Coroner’s Office Tuesday identified the victim as 33-year-old Joshua Robert Douglass of Denver, Colorado,

Once officers were on scene, the investigation revealed the truck had reversed from a parking spot along Mountain Avenue into another vehicle. The truck then accelerated onto the sidewalk and struck the pedestrians before coming to a stop after hitting a tree. 

Police tape blocks off the 100 block of Mountain Avenue, where police vehicles are parked after a crash involving a vehicle and multiple pedestrians during Tour de Fat Aug. 29. One pedestrian, Joshua Robert Douglass, died from his injuries, and five more were hospitalized. (Collegian | Cerys Hembury)

“Police are still investigating the events and factors leading up to the crash to determine how it occurred, along with investigating if impairment was a factor,” the Aug. 29 FCPS press release reads. “Police do not believe that these pedestrians were intentionally targeted.”

Denver 7 reported Aug. 30 that police Cpl. Brandon Barnes said three of the pedestrians sustained serious injuries and are reportedly now in stable condition; the other two sustained minor injuries. 

“This was a tragic day for many in our community,” Fort Collins Police Chief Jeff Swoboda stated in the press release. “We recognize the impact that this incident will have on those involved, the witnesses and the responders. Our team of Victim Advocates are supporting those involved in what happened today. I’m appreciative of the quick response of our officers, the assistance of our emergency partners and the community members who helped during this incident.” 

The parade, which began in City Park and looped around Mountain Avenue, brought out thousands of bike riders and spectators who lined the streets of Fort Collins before later attending a festival at New Belgium Brewery Company’s Fort Collins location. 

New Belgium was contacted by The Collegian Sept. 1 but declined to comment. 

A small memorial site has been set up around the tree the truck collided with outside of Walrus Ice Cream to honor the pedestrians and includes flowers, notes and colorful yarn. The Collegian also contacted Walrus Ice Cream, but they declined to comment. 

A tree on a sidewalk outside of Walrus Ice Cream in Old Town, Fort Collins is decorated with ropes, flowers and notes from the community as a memorial to the Aug. 29 crash that led to the death of one pedestrian, Joshua Robert Douglass, and injured five others Sept. 1. The note reads, “For the community we all share and for the life that was lost. With love and hope.” (Collegian | Leeann Albers)

FCPS’ press release states that the investigation is ongoing and for anyone with information about the incident to contact FCPS. 

“Anyone with information about this incident who has not already spoken to police is asked to contact Officer David Kaes or Officer Kevin Alexander at (970) 221-6540,” the FCPS press release reads. “The investigation is ongoing; no further information will be released at this time.”

Reach Chloe Rios and Claire VanDeventer at news@collegian.com or on social media @RMCollegian.

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About the Contributors
Chloe Rios
Chloe Rios, News Editor
As she enters her second year at The Collegian, Chloe Rios is thrilled to be stepping into the role of news editor. Rios first fell in love with journalism at her high school’s newspaper and hasn’t looked back since, joining The Collegian team as soon as she could. During her first year with The Collegian, Rios reported for the news, life and culture, arts and entertainment and science desks, and served as the student government beat reporter throughout her second semester of college. She particularly enjoys analyzing the impacts of political decisions on the Colorado State University and Fort Collins communities and getting to share the stories of various communities and people, as she is passionate about media representation. As news editor, Rios is excited to improve and expand the desk’s coverage.  Rios is committed to upholding The Collegian’s longstanding role in the Fort Collins community by producing coverage that is important, truthful and ethical. She doesn’t take her work lightly and believes journalistic storytelling is one of the most important and powerful crafts there is. Because of this, she plans to pursue a career in journalism post-graduation. A sophomore at CSU, Rios is pursuing a degree in journalism and media communication with a minor in political science. Rios is a proud Reisher Scholar and a member of Key Communities and the university’s Honors Program, in which she works as a mentor to first-year students. Rios has also previously worked as an undergraduate researcher. When not reporting or in a lecture hall, you will likely find her painting, lost in a good book, finding new ways to style her hair or spending quality time with her friends, family and dogs.  Rios credits her time as a student-journalist for making her into the person she is today and is excited to see what will come next.
Claire VanDeventer
Claire VanDeventer, News Editor
Claire VanDeventer is a third-year student double majoring in political science and economics with a minor in Spanish. She is thrilled for the opportunity to step into the role of news editor for The Collegian in the 2026-27 academic year.  The Collegian was the first organization to welcome VanDeventer when she started her freshman year at Colorado State University. Since then, she has developed a passion for telling the stories that often go untold and bringing greater visibility to the people and communities behind the issues making headlines. She has primarily worked on the news desk, focusing on a people-centered approach to reporting, featuring individual experiences and perspectives to examine the broader issues affecting students and residents across campus and the Fort Collins community.  Her professional experiences outside of The Collegian include roles within nonprofit organizations, local government, the United States House of Representatives and more, all of which have shaped her academic interests and perspectives on the role of media. Outside of the newsroom, VanDeventer enjoys reading, fitness, spending time with friends and family and experimenting with new coffee recipes and brewing methods. Whether she’s trying new coffee grounds or chasing a story, she is always eager to explore new ideas and experiences.  Whether VanDeventer ultimately pursues a full-time career in journalism after CSU remains uncertain. What is certain, however, is the impact The Collegian has had on her collegiate experience. Her time in the newsroom has forever opened her eyes to the power of storytelling, the responsibility of reporting and the importance of giving people a platform for their voices to be heard.
Leeann Albers
Leeann Albers, Photo Director
As Leeann Albers enters her junior year and begins her journey with The Rocky Mountain Collegian as co-director of the photo desk, guided by finding a decisive moment and running with it, she strives to extend the photo desk’s creativity and skills. Albers traveled to Fort Collins from Albuquerque, New Mexico — the 505. Feeling out of place in the business college, she switched to journalism and media communication in hopes of pursuing photojournalism. After her mom and dad sparked her love for cameras at an early age, that passion never dimmed. After she purchased her first real camera, she worked with Colorado State Athletics Digital Media, and she was hooked. That team helped find her niche and today she still continues to grow with the department.  When she has an ounce of free time, Albers loves to do outdoor activities such as fishing, snowboarding and hikes, with or without her camera. Albers is a big intramural sports player as well. She dabbles in arts and crafts, film photography (don’t knock it until you try it) and loves a local house show or live concert.  In hopes of building new skills, creating community and putting a smile on people’s faces with The Collegian’s photo desk, Albers is ecstatic to be a part of such an outstanding community of editors, writers and photographers. 
Cerys Hembury
Cerys Hembury, Photo Director
Cerys Hembury is a second-year student studying political science and English. After working as a staff photographer during her first year, she is now one of the acting photo directors for the 2026-27 school year. Hembury was born and raised in Aspen, Colorado, and after spending 18 years in the state, she figured the move to Fort Collins wouldn’t entail many surprises. However, she soon found out that much like a trip along I-70, this town is more complex than it seems on the map. During her year as a staff photographer, Hembury fell in love with Fort Collins’ deceptive simplicity. Layers of music culture, outreach programs, locally owned businesses and love for the outdoors revealed themselves with each passing photo assignment.  Under the guidance of Cait Mckinzie and Sofia Raikow, her photo director and assistant photo director respectively, she grew in both knowledge and confidence. It was largely thanks to them that her photos of the second Fort Collins No Kings protest were published by The Colorado Sun, an accomplishment that 14-year-old Hembury would never have imagined when she spent her first paycheck on a Canon camera.  This year, she looks forward to upholding The Collegian’s legacy by leading the newspaper’s team of photographers to create impactful photojournalism. Every edition of The Collegian serves the students who create it and the students who read it. Being part of that history enriches connections between community members, both in the university and beyond.