A Vermont police officer was watching YouTube in his cruiser when he struck and killed a cyclist while speeding, it is claimed.
Shelburne Police Sgt. Kyle Kapitanski, 41, is accused of recklessly speeding while distracted by the video moments before he struck and killed cyclist Sean Hayes, 38.
Sickening footage first shared by WCAX showed Hayes setting up his bike on the side of the road when he was mowed down by a speeding vehicle on the morning of November 11, 2024.
In documents from the outlet, investigators say the crash unfolded as Kapitanski’s bodycam showed him playing a YouTube video featuring right-wing influencer Matt Walsh on his in-cruiser tablet.
Immediately following the crash, detectives allege that Kapitanski’s hand could be seen changing the in-cruiser screen to show a police information program named Valcour.
Kapitanski is expected to be arraigned in court on Thursday and faces up to 15 years in prison on charges of gross negligent operation resulting in death.
Tributes poured in for father-of-two Hayes following the tragic collision, with a GoFundMe set up for his daughters saying he was ‘full of life, laughter and kindness.’
‘He was only 38 years old and leaves behind two young, beautiful daughters,’ the fundraiser said.
Shocking surveillance footage captured the moment a Vermont police officer allegedly fatally struck a cyclist after being distracted by a YouTube video on November 11, 2024
Shelburne Police Sgt. Kyle Kapitanski, 41, is accused of recklessly speeding while distracted by the video moments before he allegedly struck and killed a cyclist
Cyclist Sean Hayes, 38, was tragically killed at the scene. A father-of-two, friends said he was ‘full of life, laughter and kindness’
Locals in the South Burlington community had voiced outrage after charges were not initially filed in Hayes’ death, and last month an investigation by Vermont State Police resulted in Kapitanski only receiving a citation.
On the day of the crash four months ago, Kapitanski was reportedly driving along Shelburne Road at around 2:40am, and had visited a convenience store five minutes before the crash.
Immediately after the horror incident caught on surveillance footage, Kapitanski called his police dispatch and reported that he had hit something, ‘possibly a person.’
According to a police filing reported by VT Digger, neither Kapitanski’s bodycam nor his cruiser’s dashcam captured the collision.
However, Kapitanski’s bodycam did record some ‘post-collision’ events, the filing stated including a view of his in-cruiser tablet.
Investigators said a web browser could be seen on the tablet showing a YouTube video, and ‘Kapitanski’s hand can be seen changing the tablet’s display screen, after the collision, from the YouTube web site to Valcour.’
The report added that Kapitanski was driving at about 40mph in a 35mph zone.
‘The crash reconstruction report states the crash likely could have been avoided if Kapitanski was traveling at the speed limit,’ the filing stated.
Tributes poured in for Hayes following his passing, as friends grieved for him and his two young daughters
Hayes was seen setting up his bicycle moments before a vehicle slammed into him on Shelburne Road in Vermont last November
Kapitanski (right) was allegedly seen switching his in-cruiser tablet from a YouTube video to a police training screen seconds after the crash
Detectives said that according to the report, ‘there was a delay when the brakes were activated after the crash’, which measured approximately 85 feet.
On surveillance video showing the crash, Hayes was seen picking his bike up off the ground and setting it up, but Kapitanski reportedly told a member of the South Burlington Fire Department at the scene that Hayes ‘came out of nowhere.’
Police noted that Hayes was wearing ‘inconspicuous’ clothing and neither his bicycle nor a trailer he had attached to it had ‘reflective material’ or lights attached.
In a review of Kapitanski’s in-cruiser tablet, it was found that he accessed ‘several YouTube’ web addresses between 2:29am and 2:40am, when the crash occurred.
The final video on the tablet was reportedly found to be titled: ‘Trans woman CONFRONTING Matt Walsh takes UNEXPECTED turn.’
Kapitanski’s attorney David Sleigh argued that the officer hadn’t touched the YouTube clip since before he stopped in the convenience store, and challenged the finding that that was probably cause to support a felony charge.
Police noted that Hayes was wearing ‘inconspicuous’ clothing and neither his bicycle nor a trailer he had attached to it had ‘reflective material’ or lights on the night of the crash
‘The affidavit, as near as I can see it, says that Kyle was going maybe 5 miles over the speed limit, that his computer was playing some sort of video, but the officer says that their IT guy says there doesn’t appear to be any interaction with the computer in the 11 minutes that matter,’ Sleigh said.
‘They don’t make any allegation that he was watching the screen or was otherwise distracted.
‘It appears the best they can do is a misdemeanor simple negligence allegation,’ Sleigh added to WCAX.
Kapitanski has been placed on leave from the Shelburne Police Department as he faces up to 15 years behind bars.
