Jefferson County road frequented by cyclists gets safety upgrade after crashes, deaths

A scenic stretch of road is being widened after it was considered for years to be a dangerous area for bicyclists. At one point, Greg Johnson was told his body was broken beyond repair after being struck by a car on 32nd Avenue in Jefferson County last summer. 

"To tell you the truth, riding on that exact section of road there were times that I wondered to myself, 'What would it be like to be struck by a car and see myself flying through the air?'"

Johnson was struck by a hit-and-run vehicle just before the road expansion that is taking place on 32nd Avenue west of McIntyre. 

"It's a main route for people coming into the Golden area going to lookout mountain and Golden Gate Canyon area where I was headed the day that I was hit. You continually see cyclists there."

And they drive, they pass by what is called a ghost bike where a cyclist was struck and killed by a mail truck 15 years ago. 

Johnson's mishap was bad enough that he underwent three major surgeries. 

"I have no memory of the accident myself, all I remember is rolling out from home for a training ride and waking up in the emergency room looking at my wife," Johnson said. 

Cycling was such a big part of his life he would ride from his home in Wheat Ridge to Denver International Airport for his work with the FAA. 

"I have to take that component out of my life right now. I don't know when it will be available to me again due to my injuries," said Johnson. 

But when it does, he will find 32nd Avenue more suitable for bicyclists than before.