A popular travel influencer died after being taken off life support on Tuesday one month after he sustained a serious brain injury in a car accident, his family announced. He was 36.
Andrew Cross, who was known as “Desert Drifter” to hundreds of thousands of fans on social media, was involved in a car crash on January 31 that saw him be rear-ended at high speed.
The Virginia-born YouTube star was left reliant on life support for just over 4 weeks.
“Andrew’s spirit is free, surrounded by light and love,” Cross’ heartbroken sister, Jenna Spooner, wrote on the CaringBridge website this week.
Spooner said her brother was honored by his friends, family and the hospital staff before his loved ones made the “difficult decision” to end his life support.
“Then in the room, friends and family read scripture, prayed, and sang during the process of removing life support and for over an hour afterwards,” his sister wrote on the website, saying his final moments were “peaceful and beautiful.”
“Andrew really lived life to the fullest,” she continued. “It’s been wonderful to get to know him in new ways as we’ve seen photos and stories shared by so many. We look forward to more of that as we honor a life well lived.”
“We know that a life dependent on machines is not what Andrew wants. It’s not God’s will for Andrew, either,” she wrote, saying that her brother became extremely uncomfortable toward the end of February.
Cross had showed his discomfort by “grimacing with procedures like brushing his teeth or adjusting his position in bed,” she wrote.
The YouTuber’s family has since raised over $489,000 on GoFundMe to help support his wife, Evelyn, with medical bills.
The Mesa County Coroner’s Office in Colorado confirmed to TMZ Wednesday that the influencer had died from injuries sustained in January’s crash.
Evelyn, who married Cross in 2021, told the outlet that he was unable to regain consciousness following the accident, which saw the other driver be charged with vehicular homicide, reckless driving, careless driving, and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Cross, for his part, boasted over 700,000 followers on social media and described his content as “exploration and adventure with a historical twist.”
His videos typically documented desert tours and mountain climbs.
The social media star’s final video was on February 2 in which he thanked his followers for their prayers and support.
“We’re so grateful to all of you for watching his videos. It’s mind-blowing to us that you want to show up and watch them,” he said in the clip.
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