Vermont police sergeant Kyle Kapitanski is facing felony charges for allegedly having a YouTube video playing on a tablet in his cruiser when he fatally hit a cyclist in South Burlington in November 2024. The incident was captured by his body-worn camera and reviewed by Detective Sgt. Steven Gelder of the Vermont State Police. Kapitanski is accused of driving over the speed limit with a YouTube video playing on the tablet moments before hitting Burlington resident Sean Hayes, who was pushing a bike with an attached trailer along the road. The crash report revealed that Kapitanski was driving 40 mph in a 35 mph zone and did not stop immediately after the collision. Hayes died at the scene from blunt force trauma.
Kapitanski was issued a felony citation and will be arraigned on the charge of grossly negligent operation with death resulting, which carries up to 15 years in prison if convicted. His attorney plans to challenge the charge, arguing that the evidence presented does not support it. The police department’s IT team reported that the video playing at the time of the accident was titled “Trans woman CONFRONTING Matt Walsh takes UNEXPECTED turn.” Kapitanski has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
