Andrew Cross—known on YouTube as “Desert Drifter”—died on March 4, one month after sustaining a serious brain injury in a car accident. He was 36.
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The YouTube community has lost one of its shining stars.
Andrew Cross—who amassed nearly 500,000 subscribers on the platform under the name “Desert Drifter“—died on March 4 after being involved in a car accident the month prior, his sister Jenna Spooner announced on the CaringBridge website. He was 36.
Leading up to his passing, Andrew—who married his wife Evelyn Cross in 2021—had been on life support after sustaining a serious brain injury from the Feb. 1 crash. However, he was taken off the medical intervention the day before his death.
“Andrew’s spirit is free, surrounded by light & love,” Jenna shared in her statement on CaringBridge March 5. “He went to be with the Lord today, March 4 at 10:50 AM MST. It was peaceful and full of love in the room with Evelyn by his side, his parents and close friends nearby.”
And the medical team who worked with Andrew paid tribute to the outdoor adventure influencer as well. As Jenna explained, “Before removing Andrew from life support yesterday, they put him on a mobile ventilator and walked a loop around the whole ICU while all the available staff lined the hallway as a way to honor him.”
“Then in the room, friends & family read scripture, prayed, and sang during the process of removing life support and for over an hour afterwards,” she continued. “It was peaceful and beautiful.”
Jenna concluded her tribute with a touching message about the impact Andrew left on all who knew him.
“Andrew really lived life to the fullest, and his story & impact isn’t over yet,” she said. “It’s been wonderful to get to know him in new ways as we’ve seen photos and stories shared by so many.”
Jenna added, “We look forward to more of that as we honor a life well lived.”
For Evelyn, she has been touched by the outpouring of support Andrew—who joined YouTube in November 2023—received since his car accident.
“Your prayers and support really mean the world,” she told fans in a Feb. 2 YouTube video. “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.”
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