New Jersey Snowboarder Serves 45 Days for Aspen Hit-and-Run

Aspen —Eric “Riku” Banushi spent 45 days in jail this Friday. He is a New Jersey snowboarder who hit an Aspen local on the mountain in February 2024 and left.

A Pitkin County jury convicted him of third-degree assault, reckless endangerment, and violating the Colorado Ski Safety Act. The sentence marks the end of a two-year legal battle for Anne Cassidy, who was unloading from Gent’s Ridge lift when the collision occurred.

Cassidy described the impact as her knees “crumbling like a lawn chair.” She suffered an ACL tear in both knees, an MCL tear, a medial root injury, a torn meniscus, plus injuries to her shoulder and right hand. She is an avid athlete who skied, played tennis, mountain biked, and hiked before the crash. She says she has struggled to do any of those activities since.

“The collision upended my life and my family’s life for two years,” Cassidy wrote in an email to The Aspen Times.

The case hinged on one specific detail: Banushi fled the scene. Under the Colorado Ski Safety Act, leaving a collision site without exchanging identifying information is illegal. District Attorney Megan Machak, who handled the case for the 9th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, noted that this violation is why the matter reached court.

Banushi allegedly told Katy Frisch, a friend of Cassidy’s who chased after him, “I couldn’t stop; I was on a snowboard.” Frisch allegedly replied, “Well, maybe you shouldn’t be on the mountain.”

Banushi kept going. Howie Hatanka, a separate witness, took a photo of him. That image became the key to identifying him later.

Sheriff Michael Buglione called the sentencing “a pretty big deal.” He added that an outcome of this type is rare.

The investigation began in civil court in March 2024. With the snowboarder’s identity unknown, Attorney Michael Fox used subpoenas to obtain surveillance footage and ticketing records from Aspen One. Those records, combined with social media posts, led to Banushi’s identification.

Aspen One stated in an email that it “fully cooperated with law enforcement, providing information and assistance in response to all requests as appropriate and required by law.” The company said it remains committed to maintaining a safe environment across its properties.

The short version: You hit someone on the mountain, you leave, and you don’t swap info. That is a crime here. Not just a social faux pas. A criminal offense that can land you in jail for six weeks.

Cassidy’s recovery is ongoing. Her physical limitations are documented in court records. The legal process took two years to reach a verdict and sentencing.

The photo Hatanka took is the reason Banushi was identified. Without it, the trail likely would have gone cold.

Buglione’s comment about rarity is worth watching. If this outcome is rare, it implies most hit-and-runs on the mountain go unpunished. The law requires information exchange. Enforcement has been inconsistent until now.

Cassidy is an Aspen local. She lives with the injuries every day. Banushi served his sentence and returned to New Jersey.

The mountain doesn’t care about your home state. The law does.