Arvada man arrested on suspicion of causing a motorcyclist’s death

Brian Vondersmith - 1

An Arvada man is in custody nearly four months after he is suspected to have caused a motorcyclist’s death during a midnight road racing incident. 

Brian Vondersmith, 37 was arrested Tuesday and booked into the Arapahoe County Jail on one charge each of vehicular homicide, reckless manslaughter, first-degree assault and leaving the scene of a crash involving death — all felonies.

The incident happened at northbound Interstate 225 near 6th Avene on Oct. 20, 2024. Aurora Police Department patrol officers responded to a reported hit-and-run at 11:59 p.m. The motorcyclist, 38-year-old Matthew Bouchard, was dead by the time they got there. The crash caused that section of highway to shut down for four hours. 

It was Aurora’s 39th traffic-related fatality of 2024.

Witnesses told police they saw Bouchard racing a Dodge pickup on his Yamaha motorcyle when the truck driver sideswiped him as they changed lanes, sending Bouchard crashing into a guard rail. The suspect’s vehicle was discovered abandoned soon after the crash at 38th and Sable, but the driver had fled the scene.

After a months-long investigation, Aurora police determined that Vondersmith allegedly drove the truck that caused the motorcycle to spin out of control. He was arrested Tuesday at the Adams County Courthouse where he was scheduled to appear on an unrelated case.

His evidentiary hearing is scheduled for March 25 in Arapahoe County.

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