A Colorado husband and wife died in crashes at the same Arapahoe County intersection two years apart, prompting renewed concerns for safety.
The husband rallied a group of community members to fight for a traffic signal at the intersection of East Belleview Avenue and South Franklin Street after his wife was fatally hit by a car in May 2024, but he lost his own life to a crash at the still-lightless intersection on Monday, according to the county coroner’s office.
Andreia Lea Goldberg, 59, was hit while crossing the street at the intersection, which sits on the border of Greenwood Village and Cherry Hills Village. Her death inspired her husband, Gerald “Gerry” Goldberg, to co-found — an organization petitioning city officials to approve and fund the installation of a traffic light at the unsafe intersection — with former Greenwood Village councilmember Jerry Presley, .
“The driver saw a brief opening in traffic and did not see Andie already halfway across Belleview,” he said at a . “It was too late for the driver to react.”
Cherry Hills Village councilmembers were set to discuss a “traffic signal warrant study” for the intersection at a March 17 meeting and have now directed staff to expedite that process, city spokesperson Chris Cramer said Wednesday in a statement
“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. “Our thoughts are with everyone grieving during this difficult time.”
The study will be a “formal engineering analysis” to determine whether the intersection meets the Colorado Department of Transportation’s standards for a traffic signal, Cramer said. City staff will collect and analyze traffic data, including traffic volume, crash history, pedestrian activity and delays for cars entering the roadway.
State transportation officials will make the final decision on whether to install a light at the intersection because Belleview Avenue is also Colorado 88, a state highway, Cramer said.
Cherry Hills Village staff have also been directed to coordinate with Greenwood Village staff to review the intersection and identify next steps, because the intersection is located in both cities’ jurisdictions, he added.
In a statement, Greenwood Village spokesperson Megan Copenhaver said the two cities have been evaluating the intersection and will continue to work together.
The city will also work with Cherry Hills Village to talk about efforts to promote safer driving, she said.
“We are committed to working with regional partners to promote the safety and well-being of our community,” Copenhaver said.
Colorado Department of Transportation officials did not respond Wednesday to requests for comment.
“This intersection … has been the site of crashes for many years,” Gerry Goldberg and Presley wrote in an op-ed submitted to The Denver Post in December. “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.”
Residents opposed to a light at the intersection argued it would increase the number of drivers cutting through the neighborhood, shifting the risk to pedestrians within, according to an audio recording of the Greenwood Village City Council meeting in December.
“I think a traffic signal is an imperfect solution, but at least itap a start,” one Cherry Hills Village resident said to councilmembers during that hearing.
