Driver who killed Magnus White last July pleads not guilty: "This plea is a direct insult to Magnus’s memory"
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Nearly a year passed since the tragic events from Boulder, Colorado. Last July, the 17-year-old Magnus White, who was training for MTB World Championships, was run over by a car on a designated bike route in broad daylight. Yeva Smilianska, 23, was charged last December with Felony of Vehicular Homicide. Last week, the White family released an updated statement after Smilianska pleaded not guilty to the charges.
"Every day, we endure the unimaginable pain of living through a parent’s worst nightmare. Last week was high school graduation, a moment Magnus should have shared with his classmates, proudly wearing his cap and gown and receiving his diploma. Each missed milestone brings an overwhelming wave of emotions that no family should ever have to bear."
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"The pain is both emotional and physical as we face each day without Magnus. 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. 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."
The judge set a trial date for the week of December 16, 2024, and expects it to last five days.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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Front24208-11-2026 - On a positive note, you maybe notice turning this topic into a discussion has the benefit of eliminating certain participants who do not see how they can turn it back to their sole interest ;-)Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
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- And we, what are we doing?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
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