Driver pleads not guilty in death of Boulder teen cyclist
DENVER (KDVR) — The driver accused of hitting and killing teen cyclist Magnus White pleaded not guilty in court Friday.
On the afternoon of July 29, 2023, Magnus White, 17, was training on his bike in his hometown of Boulder to represent the USA in the world championships in mountain biking when he was struck by a car, according to court documents.
Family friend of teen cyclist killed in crash fed up with dangerous roads
According to the arrest affidavit obtained by FOX31 in December, Yeva Smilianska, 23, was driving a Toyota Matrix southbound on Highway 119 just south of 63rd Street in Boulder. White was riding a Trek bicycle southbound on the right shoulder ahead when the Toyota traveled onto the shoulder and hit the bike. White was ejected from his bike, and the Toyota continued off the right side of the road.
Smilianska told law enforcement that she was driving 55 mph when she lost control of the vehicle and swerved to the right-hand side of the road, hitting White, according to the affidavit.
White died in the hospital later that night. Smilianska was charged with vehicular homicide in December and entered a not-guilty plea Friday after rejecting a plea deal in March.
In her statement to Colorado State Patrol, Smilianska said her 2004 Toyota was old and sometimes acted weird, but it was the “first time on the road it acted like this” and said she “totally lost control.”
According to the affidavit, another cyclist was not far behind White and witnessed the crash. The witness said the vehicle was traveling in the far left lane when it made an abrupt right turn, a “beeline” as the witness described it, toward White on the side of the road.
After teen cyclist Magnus White’s death, parents push for safer roads
Other witnesses who were driving behind Smilianska at the time of the crash said the driver “swerved to the right shoulder and back into the correct lane multiple times” before eventually crashing into White.
None of the witnesses reported signs of distracted driving, and law enforcement reported no signs of intoxication.
Family responds to not guilty plea
White’s family released a statement following the plea, including in part:
The driver’s decision to plead not guilty, to take no responsibility for her actions, compounds the grave injustice we are confronting. This was not an accident; this was a crime. The driver ended the life of a child.”
Magnus White’s family
Driver accused of hitting, killing 17-year-old national team cyclist rejects plea deal
The family said that Magnus “was brimming with immense potential” and noted that he would have graduated high school last week.
“Each missed milestone brings an overwhelming wave of emotions that no family should ever have to bear. The pain is both emotional and physical as we face each day without Magnus,” the family added.
The family said they “are resolute in our pursuit of justice for Magnus.”
The Boulder County District Attorney said a motions hearing is scheduled for Sept. 4 at 10:30 a.m. and a jury trial is scheduled for Dec. 16.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.
