Crime and Public Safety | Driver accused of hitting, killing Magnus White pleads not guilty
May 24—A woman accused of hitting and killing 17-year-old Magnus White on Diagonal Highway last summer pleaded not guilty and was set for a five-day trial in December.
Yeva Smilianska, 23, appeared out of custody Friday and pleaded not guilty to one count of vehicular homicide — reckless, a Class 4 felony.
She is set to next appear in court on Sept. 4 for a motions hearing. Her trial is scheduled to begin on Dec. 16.
Following the arraignment, White's family released a statement that said Smilianska's not guilty plea "compounds the grave injustice we are confronting."
"This was not an accident, this was a crime," the statement read. "The driver ended the life of a child. This plea is a direct insult to Magnus's memory and shows a blatant disregard for the sanctity of human life.
"We implore the court to grasp the full extent of the devastation this act has brought upon our family and the community. Yeva ended Magnus's life — a life that was brimming with immense potential. She has stolen his future, denied him any opportunity to pursue his ambitions, and irrevocably destroyed our lives."
At 12:33 p.m. July 29, White was riding his Trek Model Emonda SL 7 bike southbound on Colo. 119 just south of the 63rd Street intersection when he was hit by Smilianska, who was driving a Toyota Matrix that had crossed from the righthand lane into the shoulder, according to Colorado State Patrol.
White was thrown from his bike and transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Smilianska was the only person in her vehicle at the time of the crash.
In an arrest affidavit, investigators stated that "based on the totality of circumstances, it appears most likely that Smilianska was asleep at the time of the crash."
The Boulder County Coroner's Office determined that White died from blunt force head trauma as a result of the crash and the manner of death was ruled to be an accident, according to the affidavit.
