A black Lexus sedan slammed into four men riding Harley-Davidson motorcycles on Speer Boulevard in downtown Denver on Tuesday afternoon, sending the riders and pieces of the bikes flying in all directions and causing major Denver traffic jams.
“This black car just looked like it came out of nowhere,” said Jeff Thomas, 47, of Aurora, a longtime friend of the four bikers who was riding behind them at the time of the crash. “There’s no way any of them should still be alive.”
Police did not provide the names of the bikers, but friends and a relative said they all are longtime Aurora residents whom they identified as Michael McGinley Sr., 45; his son Michael McGinley Jr., 18; Johnnie Baker, in his 40s; and Byron Waggoner, 46.
The elder McGinley was in critical condition and was rushed into surgery with a possible ruptured spleen and other internal injuries, police and relatives said. Baker also suffered serious injuries, including a possible fractured hip, friends said.
All four men were taken to nearby Denver Health Medical Center.
The crash occurred just before 3 p.m., at the intersection of Speer and Eighth Avenue.
Police said it appears the unidentified driver of the Lexus sedan blew through a red light while westbound on Eighth Avenue and careened into all four Harleys traveling south on Speer in the center lanes.
“It’s quite a bizarre scene, and we’re fortunate no one died here,” Denver police spokesman Sonny Jackson said.
The driver of the Lexus suffered non-life threatening injuries and also was being treated at the hospital, Jackson said.
Investigators were trying to determine why the woman failed to stop at the red light. She could face charges of careless driving, depending on what police determine, Jackson said.
None of the four men was wearing a helmet, but it didn’t appear any of them suffered serious head injuries, witnesses said.
Michael McGinley Jr. suffered a broken leg and scratches, while Waggoner was able to walk after suffering scratches and minor wounds, Thomas said.
Staff writer Manny Gonzales can be reached at 303-820-1537 or mgonzales@ denverpost.com.
