The Colorado USA criminal trial for a woman charged with running over and killing 17-year-old Magnus White in 2023 as he was preparing for the UCI World Championships has been postponed until March 2025. 

December 16 was the date set for Yeva Smilianska to go on trial, but recent court documents show prosecutors requested a continuance, due to the inability of a key witness to testify on that date.

Both the prosecution and defense agreed to move the trial to 17 March 2025.

Prosecutors and Colorado State police allege 23 year-old Smilianska drove her car onto the road shoulder and crashed into White from behind while he was finishing up a training ride on 29 July 2023. Although paramedics arrived on scene quickly and rushed the teenager to hospital, he died from his severe injuries.

After the crash, Smilianska told officers that she lost control of her vehicle due to a steering malfunction. The arrest affidavit alleges she fell asleep at the wheel. She has plead not-guilty to one charge of reckless vehicular homicide.

White’s parents were disappointed in yet another trial delay, showing their frustration in a public statement:

”For more than 16 months, our family has been living in this painful state of uncertainty since Magnus was stolen from us. Now that uncertainty stretches another three and a half months into the future, with the possibility of up to eight more weeks until sentencing after the trial concludes. As we go through another holiday season without Magnus, we now face months more of waiting for resolution.”

White, a 2021 USA National Cyclocross champion, was a member of the Junior National cyclocross/mountain bike team. He was entered in the 2023 UCI Men’s Junior Cross-Country MTB World Championship race that took place two weeks after his death. 

Photo Credit: TheMagnusWhite.com

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