Driver pleads not guilty in death of teenage Boulder cyclist

DENVER (KDVR) — The driver accused of hitting and killing teenage cyclist Magnus White pleaded not guilty in court Friday.

On the afternoon of July 29, 2023, 17-year-old Magnus White was cycling in his hometown of Boulder to represent the United States at the mountain bike world championships when he was hit by a car, according to court documents.

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 in front of him when the Toyota moved onto the shoulder and struck the bicycle. White was thrown from his bike and the Toyota continued down the right side of the road.

Smilianska told law enforcement she was going 55 mph when she lost control of the vehicle and swerved onto the right side of the road, striking White, according to the affidavit.

White died at the hospital later that night. Smilianska was charged with vehicular homicide in December and pleaded not guilty Friday after rejecting a plea deal in March.

In her statement to the Colorado State Patrol, Smilianska said her 2004 Toyota was old and sometimes behaved strangely, but that it was “the first time on the road that it had acted like that” and said she ” had completely lost control.

Another cyclist was not far behind White and witnessed the crash, according to the affidavit. The witness said the vehicle was traveling in the far left lane when it made a sharp right turn, a “straight line” as the witness described it, toward White on the side of the road .

Other witnesses who were driving behind Smilianska at the time of the crash said the driver “swerved several times to the right shoulder and came back into the correct lane” before finally hitting White.

None of the witnesses reported signs of distracted driving and law enforcement did not report any signs of intoxication.

Family responds to not guilty plea

White's family released a statement following the plea, including:

The driver’s decision to plead not guilty and disclaim responsibility for her actions compounds the grave injustice we face. It wasn't an accident; it was a crime. The driver ended the life of a child.

Magnus White's family

The family said Magnus “was brimming with immense potential” and noted he would have graduated from high school last week.

“Every missed step brings an overwhelming wave of emotions that no family should ever have to endure. The pain is both emotional and physical that we face every day without Magnus,” the family added.

The family said they “are determined to get justice for Magnus.”

The Boulder County District Attorney said a motion hearing was scheduled for Sept. 4 at 10:30 a.m. and a jury trial was scheduled for Dec. 16.