A pickup truck jumped the curb on West Mountain Avenue in downtown Fort Collins on Saturday, striking several pedestrians and a bicycle on the sidewalk before slamming into a tree outside Walrus Ice Cream. Six people, including the driver, were taken to the hospital for treatment, according to police.
Witness accounts and scene footage described the truck veering onto the sidewalk in the 100 block of West Mountain Avenue, an area packed with patrons that Saturday, as reported by CBS Colorado. The Denver Gazette reported that Fort Collins police confirmed officers were on scene at the crash, though the severity of the injuries and the current condition of those hospitalized were not disclosed. The outlet noted that 9NEWS contributed reporting to its coverage, and that police had not responded to a request for updates before publication.
Crash Came as Tour de Fat Parade Wound Down
Emergency calls for the crash came in between 11:45 a.m. and 11:50 a.m. Saturday, coinciding with the conclusion of the annual Tour de Fat costume bicycle parade in downtown Fort Collins, according to the Rocky Mountain Collegian. The 2026 Tour de Fat, hosted by New Belgium Brewing, had kicked off its 26th annual festival with a 9:30 a.m. costumed bike parade at City Park that looped down Mountain Avenue to raise funds for local non-profits including Bike Fort Collins and the Overland Mountain Bike Association, according to the Armstrong Hotel's guide to the event.
It remains unclear whether the people struck by the truck were cyclists who had been participating in the parade, and the Denver Gazette's reporting did not resolve that question. What may have caused the crash was not reported, and whether the driver was arrested or issued a citation was also not disclosed.
Specialized Crash Team Closes Mountain Avenue
Fort Collins Police Services assigned its specialized Collision Reconstruction and Scene Handling team to investigate, assisted by the Poudre Fire Authority and Larimer County Sheriff's Office, forcing a full closure of Mountain Avenue between College Avenue and Mason Avenue, per CBS Colorado's report. Under department policy, the CRASH team is automatically dispatched to investigate traffic incidents involving fatalities or serious bodily injuries, including crashes involving pedestrians and bicyclists, according to Fort Collins Police Services procedures. Some witness statements suggest the collision may have stemmed from an operational mishap, such as a driver stepping on the accelerator instead of the brake while the truck was parked near Walrus Ice Cream, though that account has not been confirmed by investigators.
What Colorado Law Says About Careless Driving Injuries
Under Colorado Revised Statute § 42-4-1402, careless driving that results in bodily injury to another person is classified as a Class 1 misdemeanor traffic offense, punishable by 10 days to one year in county jail and fines between $300 and $1,000. Colorado also enacted Senate Bill 25-281 in June 2025, which permits a one-year driver's license suspension for careless driving resulting in serious bodily injury and expands a driver's legal duty of care to protect pedestrians and cyclists, according to Colorado Capitol Watch's tracking of the bill.
A Pattern of Pedestrian Crashes in Northern Colorado
Pedestrian fatalities across Colorado doubled over ten years to reach 127 deaths in 2025, with pedestrians now accounting for nearly one-fifth of all traffic fatalities statewide, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation. Fort Collins City Council has committed to a Vision Zero policy aimed at eliminating all traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2032, identifying a High-Injury Network covering just 8% of city roadways where 63% of serious collisions occur, per the City of Fort Collins.
Saturday's crash follows a string of recent pedestrian incidents across Larimer County. Two weeks earlier, a driver mounted a curb and struck a father and two young children in a marked crosswalk on North Garfield Avenue in nearby Loveland, an incident Hoodline previously reported. Fort Collins has also seen fatal crashes involving a middle school teacher walking her bicycle near a Mulberry Street construction site in July and an e-bike rider at the Timberline intersection in June.
