U.S. cycling team member Magnus White dies at age 17
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Seventeen-year-old American cyclist Magnus White, who was scheduled to race at the upcoming world championships in Scotland, was killed Saturday when he was struck by a vehicle on a training ride near his home in Boulder, Colorado.
USA Cycling announced his death in a statement Sunday.
White was riding his bicycle southbound on Highway 119 shortly after noon local time when a 23-year-old woman driving a Toyota Matrix struck him from behind, Gabriel Moltrer, public information officer for the Colorado State Police, told ESPN.
The force of the collision sent White, who was wearing a helmet, off the roadway and into a fence. He was pronounced dead at a hospital, Moltrer said.
The driver of the Toyota was not injured.
Alcohol, drugs and excessive speed were not suspected to be factors in the crash, according to Moltrer, who said the investigation was ongoing and that no arrests were made as of Monday morning.
White was a rising multidisciplinary star, winning a junior national championship in cyclocross in 2021 and earning a place on the U.S. national team. He competed with the team in Europe ahead of last year's cyclocross world championships, and he was picked to represent the U.S. again at this year's cyclocross worlds in the Netherlands.
White began to dabble in road cycling and mountain biking this season. He was on one of his final training rides before this week's junior world mountain bike championships in Glasgow, Scotland, when the accident occurred.
He is survived by his parents, Michael and Jill, and his brother, Eero.
"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 in a statement. "We offer our heartfelt condolences to the White family, his teammates, friends, and the Boulder community during this incredibly difficult time."
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.