Teenage US cyclist star Magnus White struck and killed by car weeks before world championship
A rising US cyclist star’s young life was cut short Saturday when a car fatally hit him from behind while he was biking in Colorado ahead of world championships in Scotland next month, officials said.
US Junior Men’s National Team member Magnus White, 17, was killed riding his bike near his home in Boulder Saturday afternoon, USA Cycling said in a statement Sunday.
“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,” USA Cycling said.
White was on one of his final training rides before the Aug. 10 Junior Men’s Mountain Bike Cross-Country World Championships in Glasgow when he was struck and killed.
The teen’s cycling resume contained a number of accolades, including winning a junior 17-18 national championship in cyclocross in 2021 and clinching a spot on the US national team.
He competed with the team in Europe ahead of last year’s cyclocross world championships and was selected to represent the US again at this year’s cyclocross Worlds in the Netherlands.
He started getting into road cycling and mountain biking this season.
White, who was wearing a helmet, was riding south on the shoulder of Colorado State Highway 119 when a 23-year-old Colorado woman behind the wheel of a Toyota Matrix drove onto the shoulder from the right lane and struck him from behind, throwing him off the bike, Colorado Highway Patrol told The Post, citing a preliminary incident report.
The Toyota then traveled off the right side of the road down an embankment before the car slammed into a fence and stopped, highway patrol said.
The driver was not injured.
White was taken to the hospital where he died.
The investigation into the deadly crash is ongoing. It was not immediately clear if criminal charges are being pursued, however, state authorities do not believe alcohol, drugs or speeding were involved.
White leaves behind his parents, Michael and Jill, and his brother, Eero.
He began racing at a national level at the age of 10.
“We offer our heartfelt condolences to the White family, his teammates, friends, and the Boulder community during this incredibly difficult time,” USA Cycling said.
With Post wires
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