A Boulder County jury took just 20 minutes to find Nicholas Martinez, 29, guilty of leaving the vicinity of a collision, a class two petty offense, following the 2021 collision death of skier Ronald LeMaster, 72.

LeMaster died Nov. 30, 2021 in a violent collision with the snowboarder at Eldora Mountain Resort, on an intermediate run called Windmill Run, in what LeMaster considered his “home” ski area. The Boulder County Coroner said he suffered “blunt force injuries” similar to a car crash.

Wellington resident Martinez was found guilty at a one-day jury trial Tuesday of duty of skier leaving the vicinity of a collision, a class two petty offense, and was sentenced to a $500 fine and costs, and 40 hours of community service to be completed within 90 days.

“The offense is a petty offense under the law, but this sentence reflects the aggravated circumstances around Mr. Martinez’s actions in leaving the scene of the crash,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Christine Rinke said Friday. “Although Mr. Martinez had also sustained injuries, the jury agreed that those injuries did not excuse his conduct in leaving the scene of the collision.”

LeMaster’s daughter, Alexis LeMaster, attended the trial.

While she was disappointed Martinez did not make any statements prior to sentencing, or apologize, she understood why he didn’t.

“If he says ‘I’m sorry’ or takes any blame, it could potentially be held against him,” she said Friday. “I’m guessing his attorneys advised him not to.

“We’re just glad it’s over.”

Neither Martinez, nor his attorney Stephen Burstein, returned calls and emails from the Denver Gazette Friday seeking comment.

“Our hearts go out to the family of Mr. LeMaster,” Rinke said. “We appreciate the jury’s service.”

LeMaster was found unconscious and not breathing around 11 a.m. The ski patrol performed CPR, but LeMaster was pronounced dead at the scene at 11:43 a.m., authorities said.

According to LeMaster’s friend, Gordon Reece, Martinez left the scene after the collision.

Reece said he told Martinez to wait for ski patrol, according to a Boulder County Sheriff’s Office investigation. Martinez appeared to be leaving, so Reece took a photo of him on his cell phone. Reece said Martinez grabbed the phone from his hand and someone else grabbed it back. Martinez then left the scene according to Reece.

The collision knocked LeMaster unconscious and caused him to bleed from his mouth, nose and eyes. He was wearing a helmet, but that didn’t protect his body.

The Boulder County coroner said LeMaster had a broken spine, ribs, left collar bone and sternum. Bones in his face were also broken. His liver was cut, and his teeth punctured a hole in his tongue, according to the autopsy report.

LeMaster, a longtime ski coach and author, was known for his books on skiing technique, including ‘The Skier’s Edge’ and ‘Ultimate Skiing.’ He left behind a widow and daughter, who were upset that Boulder County prosecutors chose to charge Martinez with a petty offense instead of something more serious.

However, since no one saw Martinez snowboarding out of control, and he didn’t admit to being out of control, and investigators couldn’t determine if he was under the influence of alcohol or drugs, prosecutors couldn’t prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Martinez was guilty of manslaughter, Deputy District Attorney Alison Brand wrote on April 20.

“I could tell by watching him in court he feels bad,” LeMaster said. “He’s just a young kid and made a mistake. I believe he didn’t think the accident was that bad. But Nick is not small – he’s looks to be over six feet and 200 pounds. My dad was a lot smaller at only 150 pounds. I could see how it wouldn’t take much … It’s not up to me to decide that. Yes, he probably should have stopped.”

LeMaster’s widow, Melodee, was upset with the Boulder County District Attorney over the decision to not file more serious charges. But Alexis said they just want to use LeMaster’s death to educate skiers and boarders about the dangers of out-of-control skiing.

“This is an issue on the mountains. There are crashes left and right,” she said. “It could be more people on the mountain, or them not having much experience. There are so many things going into it.

“We hope to help make the mountains safer.”