FORT COLLINS, Colo. (KMGH) — One person is dead after a driver drove their pickup truck onto a sidewalk along Mountain Avenue in Old Town Fort Collins Saturday, according to Fort Collins Police.
It happened at the height of the city's Tour de Fat celebration, an annual costume bicycle festival that brings thousands of bicyclists to Old Town.
"This is probably the biggest day of the year for Fort Collins. It's a holiday," said Kim Sewald, an Old Town business owner. "People make a specific effort to have their day completely free to celebrate."
According to the department's latest update, at 11:44 a.m. Fort Collins 911 received several calls regarding a truck that drove onto the sidewalk and struck multiple people.
Learn the latest details in the crash investigation in the video player below:
Six people, including the driver, were taken to the hospital.
Three patients were transported to UCHealth Poudre Valley Hospital and three more patients were transported to UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies. UCHealth could not provide additional information about the patients or the extent of their injuries.
The preliminary investigation shows the truck reversed from a parking spot along Mountain Avenue, hitting another vehicle. It then drove forward onto the sidewalk, hitting pedestrians before colliding with a tree and coming to a stop.
Police don't believe the pedestrians were intentionally targeted, but they are still investigating what led up to the crash, including whether impairment played a role.
It is unclear if the crash involved Tour de Fat participants, according to police. It is also unclear if the driver was arrested or issued a citation.
"Something like this happening on a day like today is absolutely horrible," Sewald said.
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