Driver who struck, killed Colorado cyclist Magnus White not granted community corrections
The woman serving time for the death of rising Colorado cyclist Magnus White will not be moved to community corrections.
Yeva Smilianska was sentenced to four years in prison last spring in the Boulder case. Under Colorado Law, she became eligible to apply for community corrections last month.
On Friday, the Department of Corrections confirmed that her application was denied in Boulder County. A second request in Larimer County was withdrawn because of a new criminal case.
Being denied community corrections in one county doesn't mean you can't still apply in another.
An affidavit says a former employee accused her of depositing the same paychecks multiple times. Smilianska was charged with theft last month in connection with that case.
Magnus White's parents, Michael and Jill White, have become advocates for the cycling community, pushing for increased penalties. They previously raised concerns about how quickly their son's killer became eligible for community corrections.
The Whites released a statement on Friday asserting that the new criminal case is the reason Smilianska's referral was closed, and not the outpouring of community support for their case:
Today we were informed that the community corrections referral for the individual responsible for our son Magnus' death has been closed for the time being.
While more than 135 letters from our community, including from Governor Polis and the Colorado State Patrol, opposed her release, the closure of this referral is not a result of this overwhelming community response. Rather, it is due to new felony charges filed against this individual, of which we were notified on January 14, 2026.
We now know that this felony criminal conduct was occurring throughout 2023-2024, before, during, and after this individual killed our son. However, we want to be clear that this latest felony charge has nothing to do with Magnus' case.
We remain committed to ensuring accountability and justice for Magnus and all victims of traffic violence. We are grateful to our community, Governor Polis, and the Colorado State Patrol for standing with us in opposing this individual's release.
