17-year-old cycling star dies in Boulder after being hit by motorist

Teen cyclist Magnus White died Saturday after he was struck by a driver in Boulder while on his bike.

USA Cycling, which the 17-year-old represented on numerous occasions, confirmed the news Sunday. White was training for the Junior Men’s Mountain Bike Cross-Country World Championships, due to start in Glasgow, Scotland on Aug. 10. 

“White fell in love with cycling at an early age through Boulder Junior Cycling,” USA Cycling said. “He was a rising star in the off-road cycling scene and his passion for cycling was evident through his racing and camaraderie with his teammates and local community.” 

White’s promise was immense, and he appeared destined for a professional cycling career. He won the 2021 Junior 17-18 Cyclocross National Championships and represented Team USA for a full season of European Cyclocross racing.

White is survived by his parents, Jill and Michael, and brother Eero. 

The Colorado State Patrol responded to a crash around noon Saturday involving a 17-year-old male cyclist and a 23-year-old female driver. While the profile of the incident closely matches what White’s family has said about his death, a coroner has yet to publicly identify the victim.

CSP Trooper Gabriel Moltrer said the bike rider and the motorist, who was driving a Toyota Matrix, were both traveling southbound on Highway 119 near Gunbarrel. The driver drifted from her lane into the right shoulder, colliding with the 17-year-old biker, Moltrer said. The cyclist, who was wearing a helmet, was launched from his bike and was later pronounced dead at the hospital. 

Moltrer said excessive speeding or alcohol and drug use is not suspected. He could not confirm whether distracted driving is suspected, nor whether the 23-year-old driver has been detained or charged. 

State data show 754 people died in traffic incidents in 2022, the most roadway deaths the state has seen in four decades. Of those deaths, 36 percent were pedestrians, motorcyclists or bicyclists.