Lance
Armstrong admits careless driving in Colorado hit-and-run
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[February 19, 2015]
By Keith Coffman
DENVER (Reuters) - Lance Armstrong has
pleaded guilty to careless driving for side-swiping two parked cars in
the Colorado ski resort of Aspen late last year in an incident for which
his girlfriend initially took the blame, authorities said on Wednesday.
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The 43-year-old disgraced professional cyclist avoided a court
appearance by paying $238.50 in fines and court costs by mail last
week, according to the Pitkin County clerk's office.
Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and banned
for life from racing in 2012 after a U.S. Anti-Doping investigation.
He later admitted in a television interview using
performance-enhancing drugs during his championship run.
This week arbitrators ordered Armstrong to pay $10 million to a
sports insurance company for bonuses he reaped from his tainted
victories, calling the case "an unparalleled pageant of
international perjury, fraud and conspiracy."
In the Aspen incident, Armstrong was initially cited for leaving the
scene of an accident and driving too fast for the icy road
conditions when he crashed into the cars in the upscale ski resort
one night in late December.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2015/Feb/19/images/ads/current/LPL_small%201.gif) According to police reports, a resident who heard the crash said
that when he came outside to investigate, a woman, later identified
as Armstrong's longtime girlfriend Anna Hansen, approached him.
Hansen apologized for the accident, the resident told police, said
she would pay for the damages, and left the scene.
When investigators went to the Aspen home the couple shared they
found a vehicle registered to Armstrong with "significant damage."
Police said Hansen told officers she was driving because Armstrong
had been drinking "a little bit" at a charity event the couple
attended at an Aspen hotel.
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But a hotel valet later told police that Armstrong was behind the
wheel when they left, and after police challenged Hansen's story she
ultimately admitted the couple made "a joint decision" to say she
was driving to avoid publicity.
Armstrong was then cited for the accidents.
Pitkin County prosecutor Andrea Bryan said earlier that Hansen was
not cited for making false statements to police because authorities
encourage witnesses to be truthful, and charging people who
volunteer information is counterproductive.
A representative for Armstrong had no comment on his Colorado guilty
plea.
(Additional reporting by Steve Ginsburg in Washington; Editing by
Daniel Wallis and Eric Walsh)
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