A bicyclist is in critical condition and riders across Denver are talking about safety on the Cherry Creek Trail after a high-speed, head-on crash there Tuesday night.

Multiple witnesses said a young woman cyclist crossed the dividing line of the two-way cycling trail, putting her in the path of an oncoming male cyclist at full speed. The man was William Latimer, 55, of Westminster, according to his brother.

The collision was so severe, Latimer had no pulse and wasn’t breathing after the crash, according to a physician assistant who had been riding on the trail and stopped. Latimer regained his pulse and resumed breathing but remained unconscious after CPR was performed by the physician assistant, who declined to be identified, and another civilian.

Latimer, a vice president for NGL Energy Partners, was in critical condition at Denver Health after the crash, his brother Walter Latimer told The Denver Post. But the cyclist showed positive signs Wednesday, lifting his arms and legs, Walter Latimer said.

“He’s going to live, at the very least,” he said.

William Latimer has been a long-distance rider for decades, his brother said.

The identity and condition of the female cyclist has not been released.

On most days Cherry Creek is a mix of speedy athletes, casual riders and pedestrians — a situation that one cyclist called the Interstate 25 of bicycles.

In recent weeks, city rangers have used radar guns to enforce the 15 mph speed limit on the two-lane path, part of a safety campaign that rankled some of the path’s users. On Tuesday night, though, that message had terrible resonance.

“I think we generally have this sense of, ‘OK, I’m down at Cherry Creek … so I’m good, I’m safe down here, because my primary concern is always cars,’ ” said bike advocate Jonathan Fertig. “To feel like the one safe place to ride in the city is now becoming a little unsafe, it definitely makes you think.”

Details of the crash

Ian Fish, who also administered CPR, said he heard but didn’t see the entire crash.

The young woman and another cyclist were riding eastbound, he said.

“I heard a sound that sounded like the pedals clipping (into each other). She immediately went across the center divider and entered into a head-on with the guy who was traveling westbound,” said Fish, a regular cyclist on the path. “He was facedown, and it sounded like gurgling, so I figured he was choking on his blood.”

Another witness, 17-year-old Tori Ruatain, said she saw the collision from about 200 feet away. Latimer had been passing other bikes at a fast clip, she said, but was in his own lane at the time of the crash. “She swerved a little bit into his lane, and then it was head-on,” she said.

A Denver Post reporter arrived at the scene shortly after the crash.

By phone, medical officials guided Fish and the physician assistant through chest compressions and rescue breaths on Latimer. The other cyclist suffered a bloody gash to her forehead. She sobbed in pain as witnesses tended to her.

More than a dozen people laid down their bikes and scooters to help the injured pair. One man slowed cycling traffic and others guided first responders, who were unsure of how to reach the cycling path from the road. Still others collected personal belongings and debris from the scene, including the smashed-in cruiser bike ridden by the woman in the crash.

A fire crew and ambulance evacuated the victims on stretchers. Denver police officers responded to the scene, according to spokesperson Jay Casillas, but didn’t complete a crash report or issue any citations. Police detectives are investigating and asking anyone who witnessed the crash to call the Traffic Investigations Unit at 720-337-1000.

Athletes and commuters

Fast-moving cycling traffic has been an increasing concern on the Cherry Creek Trail, a two-lane path that runs alongside downtown Denver. The collision happened on a stretch where pedestrians aren’t allowed.

Recently, the city has deployed rangers with radar guns to encourage slower speeds. Speeds in excess of 15 mph on trails can result in a $100 ticket.

“It’s not something that is done regularly,” said Yolanda Quesada, spokesperson for Denver Parks and Recreation. The goal is education, and only a handful of tickets are given out each year. “Tickets are kind of a last resort,” she said.

Recent stories about speed limit enforcement drew protests from some cyclists, and, even after the crash, Fertig remains skeptical of the approach.

“I think excessive speeds are a problem, but you’re not going to have someone standing out there with a radar gun year-round,” he said. “I think it’s really a design problem as opposed to an enforcement problem.”

He sees Cherry Creek as a “relief valve” that takes pressure off the rest of the city’s disjointed bike system. It’s reaching capacity, he said, and Denver needs to consider converting automobile lanes on roads such as Speer Boulevard, which runs alongside the creek.

Brad Evans, well known for his urban criticism, also said the crash was a sign of insufficient bike infrastructure.

It underlined the danger of high speeds on the trail for other cyclists.

“This has been a recurring nightmare of mine for years,” tweeted Mark Cavanaugh. Cherry Creek “is the I-25 of local bike paths,” he added.