Preliminary hearing set for Aspen man accused of fatally running over pedestrian
A preliminary hearing has been set for an Aspen man who faces felony charges for fatally hitting another man with his truck on Highway 82 in Basalt this past summer.
Christopher Fish, 49, appeared in Pitkin County District Court on Monday with his attorney, Denver-based Pamela Mackey.
Judge Chris Seldin set Fish’s preliminary hearing for Oct. 23, when it will be determined if there is enough evidence to go to trial.
Fish is charged with felony vehicular homicide, felony leaving the scene of an accident and misdemeanor careless driving.
Fish was allegedly at the wheel of a Ford F-250 pickup that struck Aspen Village resident Michael Campion, 54, at the intersection of Highway 82 and Basalt Avenue the night of Aug. 24, according to court documents. A witness told The Aspen Times that it looked like Campion, who was on foot, jumped out in front of Fish’s truck.
Campion’s blood alcohol level was three times over the legal limit to drive, according to a Pitkin County Coroner report released last week.
Campion’s blood-alcohol level was 251 milligrams per deciliter. The legal limit to drive is 80.
The cause of death was multi-system trauma and was instant, according to the coroner’s report. The manner of death, which occurred at 9:20 p.m., is homicide, according to the coroner.
Fish’s truck stopped about a mile up the road, where police contacted him. A portable breath test indicated Fish had no alcohol in his system after he stopped, though he failed roadside sobriety tests, court document state. A Basalt police officer and drug recognition expert also examined Fish and believed he was under the influence of marijuana, the documents state.
On Monday, Paul Reaser, store manager of the Circle K gas station in Glenwood Springs, provided to the court video footage that Mackey had subpoenaed.
She told The Aspen Times she asked for it to establish a timeline for Fish’s travels that evening.
Campion, a resident at Aspen Village, had reportedly been trying to catch a bus on the south side of Highway 82 after having dinner and drinks with friends.
None of the charges that Fish faces requires mandatory prison time.
