Holding up a broken bloody helmet, Michael and Jill White remember their son. In the teaser for a film about Magnus White, his grieving parents take viewers on an intimate journey — into Magnus’ untouched bedroom, alive with his memory; to his memorial on Diagonal Highway, where a white bike leans against the wire fence he was thrown into; and onto the stage of an event promoting a bikeway project for the perilous highway. Michael expresses disappointment that the project is expected to take 13 years to complete. Magnus was just 17 when he was taken from them.
After his death in July 2023, the incident received national exposure because Magnus was an exceptional young man. He had a long resume of achievements — long for anyone, let alone a 17-year-old — as a national champion cyclist who had planned to join a European team after his final year at Boulder High School.
The film is the first of a series called “Lives Worth Remembering” about fallen riders, and documents the anguish and love Magnus’s family has endured during the ongoing four-month investigation following his death. It is an initiative of their nonprofit, called The White Line, that Michael and Jill established with the help of their GoFundMe campaign. The film is still a work in progress and will be shot over the next six months as the results of the investigation into his death play out.
“Because of the generous donations we received from Magnus’s GoFundMe, we are able to launch the foundation with funds,” Michael White said in a news release. “THE WHITE LINE is more than a tribute; it’s a commitment to fostering a community where cyclists can pursue their passion safely, with the spirit of Magnus as our guiding light.”
The organization is on a mission to use Magnus’ legacy to support cyclists and cycling worldwide, including working to create safe infrastructure for the sport. This includes initiatives such as increasing awareness about bicycle safety through advertising campaigns and advocacy, getting more children on bicycles and supporting their involvement in racing, and producing the “Lives Worth Remembering” film series to honor fallen riders and the impact they had on their communities.
The investigation into Magnus’s death is expected to be completed by the Colorado State Patrol before the end of the year, according to Shannon Carbone, a spokesperson with the Boulder County District Attorney’s office. The conclusion will be sent to Boulder’s district attorney, who will decide whether to charge the driver.
According to the crash report, the driver who hit Magnus was a 23-year-old female who claims to have had a sudden issue with steering. The car veered off the road onto the shoulder at 55 mph, striking Magnus from the driver’s side and continuing further into a fence, notably without braking.
His parents want the driver to be held accountable and for laws to become more strict when it comes to endangering other road users, pointing out that this would act as a deterrent. The organization is partnering with the advocacy groups People for Bikes and Bicycle Colorado, and will wait to hear how the investigation plays out to share more specific actions they might take.
“While no consequence can ever bring Magnus back, accountability remains paramount,” the Whites wrote on their website. “As parents, we emphasize the importance of accountability and consequences to our children. Magnus lived by these principles, and we must uphold them in his memory.”
I lived in Lyons, CO for 30 years. I must have driven Highway 36 from Lyons to parts South (and back) over a million times. That road was originally a wagon road. The boulder county history I read said that the road designer had hitched his best mule to a wagon and let the mule choose the best path over the foothills to Boulder. Then they made a highway out of that path. Maybe it was a great wagon road, but it’s a poorly designed highway. And yes, my family and I have for years observed that there should be specific accommodations for bicyclists in that dangerous stretch of highway. I still advise for a paved bike trail from Hall Ranch in Lyons over the hills to the (one time active) Heil Ranch. The old Heil ranch is now Boulder County open Space, accessible from the road to Jamestown off Highway 36.