Gerald “Gerry” Goldberg was on a mission to make a dangerous Colorado intersection safer for runners and pedestrians. On Monday, he became its second victim.
Gerry was killed in a crash at the intersection of East Belleview Avenue and South Franklin Street in Arapahoe County — the same spot where his wife, Andreia Lea Goldberg, 59, was struck and killed in May 2024 while crossing the street. The intersection sits on the border of Greenwood Village and Cherry Hills Village in Colorado. It still has no traffic light.
A Community Rallying for Change
After Andreia’s death, Gerry didn’t retreat. He co-founded an advocacy group called Andie’s Light alongside former Greenwood Village councilmember Jerry Presley. The group’s sole focus: getting a traffic signal installed at the intersection before anyone else was hurt.
At a Greenwood Village City Council meeting last December, Gerry described what happened to his wife. “The driver saw a brief opening in traffic and did not see Andie already halfway across Belleview,” he said. “It was too late for the driver to react.”
In an op-ed submitted to The Denver Post that same month, Gerry and Presley catalogued the intersection’s history. “This intersection has been the site of crashes for many years,” they wrote. “In addition to Andie’s death, other crashes include a T-Bone crash that sent one family to the ICU, a high-speed motorcycle crash, roll-over crashes and numerous fender-benders. This is a dangerous intersection.“
That warning went unanswered in time to save him.
What Happens Now
Gerry’s death appears to have accelerated — at least on paper — what months of advocacy could not.
Cherry Hills Village was already scheduled to discuss a traffic signal warrant study for the intersection at a March 17 meeting. After news of Gerry’s death, city officials directed staff to expedite that process. City spokesperson Chris Cramer confirmed the study will be a formal engineering analysis, examining traffic volume, crash history, pedestrian activity, and vehicle delays.
“Any loss of life in our community is heartbreaking, and we recognize the profound impact this incident has had on loved ones and neighbors,” Cramer said in a statement Wednesday.
The final decision on a traffic light won’t belong to Cherry Hills Village alone. Because East Belleview Avenue doubles as Colorado State Highway 88, the Colorado Department of Transportation has the final say. State officials did not respond to requests for comment as of Wednesday.
Greenwood Village, which also shares jurisdiction over the intersection, said it would continue coordinating with Cherry Hills Village. “We are committed to working with regional partners to promote the safety and well-being of our community,” said city spokesperson Megan Copenhaver.
A Warning Runners Know Too Well
For the running community, this story will hit close to home.
Runners and pedestrians share dangerous roads every day. High-speed arterial roads with no signals, no crossing infrastructure, and drivers who don’t expect anyone on foot are a recipe for exactly this kind of tragedy. Knowing which side of the road to run on and how to behave around traffic is a starting point — but it’s not enough when the infrastructure simply isn’t there.
Planning a route that avoids high-speed roads where possible is one of the best things a runner can do. Running in low-light conditions makes the risk even greater, and while staying alert on the road matters, no amount of individual vigilance fixes a structurally dangerous crossing.
Opposition to the traffic light did exist. At the December council meeting, some residents argued a signal would push more drivers through the neighborhood, shifting risk rather than eliminating it. “I think a traffic signal is an imperfect solution, but at least it’s a start,” one Cherry Hills Village resident replied.
Two families have now paid the highest price for that debate dragging on.
The Arapahoe County coroner’s office confirmed Gerry Goldberg’s death. A formal investigation into the crash is ongoing.
