BOULDER, Colo. – The driver, who struck and killed young rising cycling champion Magnus White will serve 4 years in Colorado's Department of Corrections.
The sentence was handed down Friday by Boulder County Judge Dea M. Lindsey.
Yeva Smilianska, 24, was found guilty of the vehicular homicide - reckless driving charge on April 4, a class 4 felony, after deliberating for around seven hours.
Smilianska will also serve 3 years mandatory parole and the sentence begins immediately.
The jury reached an unanimous decision on that charge in lieu of finding her guilty on the lesser charge of caress driving causing death.
The 17-year-old was an accomplished cyclist with several titles to his name and was preparing for what would have been his third world championship competition in Scotland.
He was just 15 minutes from home when he was struck and killed in July 2023 along Highway 119. He was only 72 hours away from boarding a plane to represent the USA.
Smilianska faced a sentence of 2 to 6 years in either Colorado's Department of Corrections, Community Corrections or parole.
‘My son was my hero’
Magnus’ dad, Michael White, shared with the court the pain the loss of his son has brought to his family.
"You are witnessing someone living a nightmare, a nightmare I'll never wake up from – the loss of a child is the worst loss a human being can endure. If there's something more painful in life, I never hope to find it,” said Michael White. “How can this be real? How can all of this be real? After the verdict that night, both my wife and I had the same thought — okay Magnus, it's over now, you can come home."
White continued that Smilianska’s “recklessness wasn’t a momentary lapse.”
"She didn't just kill Magnus, she killed his mom, his dad, his brother – she didn't just take his life, she took all of ours with it,” said White. "Her only remorse is for herself – anything she says now, today, means nothing."
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Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty began sentencing, urging the judge to impose the maximum penalty.
“This is not the first vehicular homicide sentencing I've stood before the court on. These cannot continue this way. The deterrent factor is significant,” said Dougherty, who described Smilianska as displaying a lack of remorse before, during and after the trial.
“The defendant's complete failure to accept responsibility and express any genuine remorse. She has never once done so."Citing examples of the defendant allegedly taking selfies outside the courtroom during the trial as an example of lack of remorse, Dougherty angrily told the court: "I'm sorry — but I've never seen this in 27 years and I hope I never see it again."
The defense later countered Smilianska’s last Instagram post was in October 2023 and the last Facebook post in December 2022.
Smilianska’s mother apologized to the White family for the photos claiming they were meant for her.
“The reason was, I asked to send me photos was because I was really sick,” the defendant's mother said. "It was not for social media, it was because I was sick and can’t be present in the trial.”
Magnus White’s family sought the maximum punishment, and since their son’s death, have advocated for increased penalties for drivers involved in deadly crashes.
During the 5-day trial, Smilianska admitted she passed out behind the wheel while driving along the highway.
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At first, she blamed the crash on a vehicle issue, claiming the steering wheel malfunctioned causing the car to veer off the road. Smilianska told the jury she wanted the crash to be the fault of the car since it was difficult to accept it was her fault.
Smilianska’s defense, citing she had no criminal record, sought a community-based sentence, telling the court she was sorry for her actions.
“A prison sentence is to impose a sanction – for a person who has repeatedly disregarded the law,” said her defense.
Denver7 extensively covered each day of the trial. You can read through the developments in the links below.
- Trial for Yeva Smilianska, driver accused of killing rising cycling star Magnus White, begins Monday.
- Yeva Smilianska trial day 2: Tearful witness drivers recall what led up to crash that killed Magnus White, 17
- Yeva Smilianska trial day 3: Pro-cyclist recalls seeing crash that killed Magnus White
- Yeva Smilianska trial day 4: Defendant says she 'completely turned off' after striking, killing young cyclist
'She severed our family tree'
Jill White, Magnus’s mother, shared with the court the heartbreaking moments she said goodbye to her son while he was kept on life support in the hospital.
“I watched Magnus take his first breath and I watched him take his last breath,” said Jill White. “I watched helplessly as the medical team performed CPR to keep Magnus alive. I believe they were doing it for me."
She spoke of the devastation her family still deals with, including the impact on her husband, nearly 2 years after the crash.
"My husband is consumed by depression. I wake up every morning to him sobbing in his pillow," said White. "I want to die everyday — when she killed Magnus she took my desire to live. There's no shine in my eyes anymore."
Yeva Smilianska, speaking through a translator, also addressed the court before the sentence was handed down.
“I can’t express with words I have how much I would like to go back to the decision I made and what has brought me here today,” said Smilianska. “I’m not indifferent to this and I'm deeply sorry for taking the life of such an incredible person away.”
Polina Krutova – speaking through a translator – defended her friend Smilianska as “a person who always comes to your aid and will never refuse to hope.” On Smilianska’s lack of visible emotion, Krutova said “when she hurts she usually grinds her teeth and moves on and tries to help others. She doesn’t know how to express her emotions.”
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On Smilianska’s demeanor, Judge Lindsey, in her decision, said the court cannot know what was going through Smilianska's mind at the time of the crash or in court.
The Judge also said the Court found Smilianska has the potential to be rehabilitated.
Judge Lindsey noted the defendant “lied about this crash for many months during this investigation.”
Following the 4-year sentence, Smilianska's mother was asked to comment by Denver7.
"She killed Magnus White — but she saved many lives and she does not deserve what she got today," Smilianska's mother said.
Defense attorneys declined to comment following the decision.
After Magnus’ death, his parents turned grief into a mission by launching The White Line nonprofit which raises awareness on road dangers experienced by vulnerable road users and aims to make infrastructure safer for cyclists and pedestrians.
As part of their work, the White’s are pushing for stricter laws – both state and national – to impose harsher penalties for drivers involved in careless and reckless driving crashes.
That push included Colorado Senate Bill 25-281, which was signed into law by Governor Polis this month.
In December 2024, Colorado Democratic Rep. Joe Neguse introduced a national bike safety bill in memory of Magnus White.
The Magnus White Cyclist Safety Act would require automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems to be installed on all new passenger motor vehicles. The bill expands on existing provisions finalized earlier this year by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
If passed, the legislation would require the Department of Transportation to develop comprehensive rules for AEB implementation within three years. Automakers would then have two model years to comply.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Denver7 is committed to exposing the dangers of biking in Colorado and our On Two Wheels series looks at the issues cyclists face as vulnerable road user deaths continue to climb.
In the video player below, watch real-life examples shared by Denver cyclists showing what it's like to navigate the roadways with drivers.
