Woman sentenced for crash that killed teenage pro cyclist in Colorado
A woman who was found guilty of killing a 17-year-old pro cyclist in Colorado in a crash has been sentenced to four years in prison.
Yeva Smilianska was found guilty of reckless vehicular homicide in the 2023 death of Magnus White, a cyclist for Team USA.
Text messages and cell phone videos showed that Smilianska had been drinking and stayed up into the early morning hours before she fatally struck White. He was on a training ride on Highway 119 in Boulder and was set to compete in the world championships in a few days.
On Friday, she was sentenced to four of the possible six years in prison for his death, along with a three-year mandatory parole period. A statement from Magnus's parents, Jill and Michael White, expressed the family's distress at the sentence.
"Today, the driver who killed our son Magnus was sentenced to 4 years in jail for felony vehicular homicide. This outcome is devastating.
The sentence handed down does not reflect the gravity of her choices, or the life that was stolen. She stayed up all night, mixing prescription drugs with alcohol, drinking whiskey into the morning, and very likely using cocaine. Then she got behind the wheel and killed our son. She lied to the police. She lied to investigators. She was never drug tested, but Magnus was.
Our son is gone forever. The system that failed him that day, has failed him again today.
This was also never just about one driver. From day one, this case exposed systemic breakdowns: lost evidence, protocols failed to be followed, no sobriety testing, no urgency. Magnus was failed by more than one person. He was failed by a process that protects reckless drivers over innocent victims.
We are heartbroken. We are furious. And we are not done. We are calling on lawmakers, advocates, and every person who believes this is unacceptable to stand with us. Demand mandatory blood draws in fatal and serious injury crashes. Demand real investigative standards. Demand a system that values human life over bureaucratic convenience.
So many things failed Magnus that day. The sentence today is one more failure. We will continue to fight for Magnus, and for so many like him."
District Attorney Michael Dougherty said cyclist deaths in Colorado are a widespread problem, and the state needs to take steps to protect cyclists on the road. He said that the judge could have sentenced Smilianska to probation and community service and credited the White family for their strength in seeking justice.
"The law didn't meet the loss here today. I think that's legitimate. However, I am pleased that the judge sentenced her to state prison," said Dougherty.
The White family said they're glad that the judge sentenced Smilianska to prison and not just probation, but didn't feel that the sentence fit the crime. "We were asking for six years. That was our hope for true accountability," said Jill White. "Four years in state prison is pretty close to that."
"Probation to six years, how do you measure that in a life? Magnus's life is worth four years. The system, the attitudes, driver culture has to change. Victims' rights need to be elevated instead of the defendant's rights. This is, even that range of sentencing is unacceptable," said Michael White.
Dougherty called for changes and more accountability in sentencing for similar cases, explaining Smilianska passed out behind the wheel due to the combination of alcohol, prescription drugs and exhaustion. Dougherty said Smilianska never told the White family she was sorry, and didn't appear to have any remorse for her actions.
"This was a devastating death, and a terrible, terrible loss of a young boy. So, the idea that the defendant and her friends are taking selfies during the trial, and then posting them on social media for everyone, including the victim's family, to see, is outrageous," he asserted.
Smilianska said that's not the case, stating, "No matter what I look like outside, I am living through this grief deeply."
