Suspect driver arrested, accused in deadly hit-and-run crash on I-225 that killed Aurora man

Months after a deadly crash that killed a man from Aurora, the suspect driver has been arrested. Brian Vondersmith of Arvada was arrested Tuesday and booked into the Arapahoe County Jail in connection to a deadly crash in October 2024.

Vondersmith, 37, faces one charge each of vehicular homicide, reckless manslaughter, first-degree assault and leaving the scene of an accident involving death. 

The charges stem from a crash that happened just before midnight on Oct. 20, 2024 in the northbound lanes of I-225 near 6th Avenue. Aurora police responded to the report of a hit-and-run crash involving a pickup and motorcycle. 

The motorcycle rider, later identified by the Arapahoe County Coroner's Office as 38-year-old Aurora resident Matthew Bouchard, died before first responders arrived. 

Witnesses told police that a Yamaha motorcycle appeared to be racing a Dodge pickup when the driver of the truck sideswiped the motorcycle rider, sending him into the guardrail. Investigators said the suspect vehicle was located abandoned a short time after the crash in a vacant parking lot near the intersection of East 38th Avenue and Sable Boulevard. 

According to traffic detectives, during the investigation they developed information that Vondersmith was driving the Dodge pickup at the time of the deadly crash. He was arrested Tuesday at the Adams County Courthouse in Brighton where he was scheduled to appear for a hearing in district court in an unrelated theft case. 

Additional Information from the Aurora Police Department:

The investigation remains active and ongoing. Anyone with any information is asked to contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720.913.STOP (7867). Tipsters can remain anonymous and could be eligible for a reward of up to $2,000.