Andrew Pott, 36, FedEx Driver Killed in I-89 Crash in Hartford, VT; BMW Driver Gabriel Vestal of Rochester, NH Charged with DUI – Vermont State Police Investigate.

Tragedy on Interstate 89 – FedEx Driver Dies, BMW Driver Faces DUI Charges.

HARTFORD, Vt. – April 9–10, 2026 – A quiet Thursday evening on Interstate 89 in the Upper Valley region of Vermont turned into a scene of catastrophic violence when a FedEx delivery truck and a BMW 750i collided south of the White River Junction area. The crash claimed the life of Andrew Pott, a 36-year-old FedEx driver from Burke, Vermont, and led to the arrest of the BMW driver, Gabriel Vestal, 24, of Rochester, New Hampshire, on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol and other drugs.

The Vermont State Police reported that the fatal collision occurred at approximately 8:15 p.m. on Thursday, April 9, 2026, on Interstate 89 southbound near mile marker 4.3, a stretch of highway located between Exit 2 (Hartford / White River Junction) and Exit 1 (Quechee / Woodstock). This area is heavily traveled by commuters, tourists, and commercial vehicles, as I-89 serves as a major north-south corridor connecting the Canadian border to Concord, New Hampshire, and beyond.

According to investigators, the crash involved a FedEx step-van (a box truck used for package delivery) and a BMW 750i, a high-performance luxury sedan. Emergency crews from Hartford Fire Department, White River Junction Ambulance, and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Advanced Response Team rushed to the scene. They found the FedEx truck mangled against a guardrail, its cargo scattered across the roadway. The BMW had come to rest in the median, its front end obliterated.

Andrew Pott – the sole occupant of the FedEx truck – was pronounced dead at the scene by a responding medical examiner. He had suffered traumatic injuries consistent with a high-speed, offset frontal collision. Gabriel Vestal, the driver of the BMW, sustained only minor injuries – cuts and bruises – and was transported to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire, for evaluation and treatment.

The Investigation: Signs of Impairment

Vermont State Police troopers who responded to the crash began an immediate investigation. According to the police report, while speaking with Gabriel Vestal at the hospital, troopers “observed signs of impairment” – including slurred speech, bloodshot eyes, and the odor of an alcoholic beverage. Vestal also reportedly exhibited behavior consistent with the influence of other drugs, though specific substances have not yet been disclosed pending toxicology results.

Field sobriety tests could not be performed at the scene due to Vestal’s injuries and the location of the crash, but investigators obtained a warrant for a blood draw. Results from the Vermont Forensic Laboratory are expected in the coming weeks. Based on the observed signs and evidence from the crash reconstruction, troopers arrested Vestal at the hospital and charged him with Driving Under the Influence (DUI) – a criminal offense in Vermont that carries potential jail time, fines, and license suspension.

Vestal was released pending a court appearance. He is scheduled to be arraigned in Windsor County Criminal Court in June 2026. Additional charges – including negligent operation with death resulting, manslaughter, or vehicular homicide – could be added if the blood test reveals a high level of impairment or if the investigation shows reckless behavior beyond simple DUI.

The Crash Scene: A Highway of Grief

Interstate 89 southbound was shut down for nearly eight hours following the crash. Emergency crews worked through the night under floodlights to extricate Andrew Pott’s body from the wreckage, clear debris, and reconstruct the sequence of events. The Vermont State Police’s Crash Reconstruction Team used laser scanners and drone photography to map the scene, measure skid marks, and determine vehicle speeds and points of impact.

Preliminary findings suggest that the BMW 750i, driven by Vestal, was traveling southbound at a high rate of speed when it crossed the center line or rear-ended the FedEx truck – though investigators have not released a definitive cause. “What we know right now is that the BMW driver caused the crash,” said Sergeant Michael Trudeau of the Vermont State Police in a brief media briefing early Friday morning. “Alcohol and drug impairment appear to be contributing factors.”

The southbound lanes remained closed until approximately 4 a.m. on Friday, April 10, causing massive traffic backups and diversions onto Route 5 and other local roads. By dawn, the highway had reopened, but a dark stain on the asphalt and a section of mangled guardrail remained as silent witnesses to the tragedy.

Who Was Andrew Pott?

As news of the crash spread across Vermont and New Hampshire, tributes poured in for Andrew Pott, a 36-year-old FedEx driver who lived in the small Northeast Kingdom town of Burke (population approximately 1,600). Pott was known to friends and family as “Andy” – a hardworking, gentle-natured man who loved the outdoors, his two Labrador retrievers, and the quiet rhythm of life in rural Vermont.

Pott had worked for FedEx for nearly a decade, starting as a package handler at the Williston distribution center before becoming a delivery driver. For the past four years, he had run the “White River Junction to St. Johnsbury” route, a long and often challenging stretch of highways and back roads. Colleagues described him as “reliable to a fault” – never late, never complaining, always willing to take an extra stop if it meant helping a customer.

“Andy was the kind of guy who would deliver a package and then help an elderly person carry it inside,” said Darren Cole, a fellow FedEx driver and close friend. “He didn’t deserve to die like this – alone on a highway, at night, because someone else decided to get behind the wheel drunk.”

Pott is survived by his parents, Robert and Linda Pott of Burke, and a younger sister, Jessica Pott-Morris, who lives in Montpelier. He had no children but was engaged to be married to his longtime partner, Emily St. Pierre, a nurse at Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital in St. Johnsbury. In a heart-wrenching social media post, St. Pierre wrote: “You were supposed to come home tonight. We were supposed to pick out wedding invitations this weekend. Now I’m picking out a casket. I will never forgive the man who did this.”

A GoFundMe campaign organized by the Pott family had raised over $45,000 within 12 hours of the crash, with donations from FedEx employees, Vermont residents, and complete strangers moved by the senselessness of the loss.

Who Is Gabriel Vestal?

Gabriel Vestal, 24, of Rochester, New Hampshire (a city of about 32,000 located 80 miles southeast of Hartford, VT), has no prior criminal record in either New Hampshire or Vermont, according to publicly available court databases. However, sources close to the investigation indicated that Vestal had been at a social gathering in the Upper Valley area earlier on April 9 and was believed to be returning to New Hampshire at the time of the crash.

Vestal’s family has not released a public statement. A woman who answered the door at his Rochester residence declined to comment. His LinkedIn profile lists him as a sales associate at a car dealership in Dover, New Hampshire. Friends on social media described him as “a fun guy” but expressed shock at the DUI charge.

If convicted of DUI in Vermont – a first offense – Vestal faces a mandatory minimum of 48 hours in jail (up to two years), a fine of up to $750, and a six-month license suspension. However, because the DUI is linked to a fatal crash, prosecutors are almost certain to pursue more serious charges. Under Vermont law, **gross negligent operation with death resulting** is a felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. Vehicular homicide (Title 23 V.S.A. § 1091) carries a penalty of up to 15 years if alcohol or drugs are involved. If Vestal’s blood alcohol content is found to be 0.08% or higher, the charges will be even more severe.

The Human Cost of Impaired Driving

The death of Andrew Pott is not just a statistic. It is a glaring, painful example of the ongoing epidemic of impaired driving on American roads. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than 13,000 people were killed in drunk-driving crashes in the United States in 2024 (the most recent full year of data). In Vermont – a state with a population of just over 650,000 – alcohol-impaired driving fatalities averaged 25 to 30 per year over the past decade.

“This crash was 100% preventable,” said Vermont State Police Colonel Matthew Birmingham in a statement. “Someone made the choice to drive after drinking and using drugs. That choice cost a hardworking, innocent man his life. It has devastated a family. It has scarred first responders. And it has put a young man in legal jeopardy that will follow him forever.”

The Vermont Governor’s Highway Safety Program has long promoted ridesharing, designated drivers, and public awareness campaigns. But as the Pott case shows, awareness alone is not enough. “We need a cultural shift,” said Michele Ouellet, a victim advocate with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Vermont chapter. “Every single person who gets behind the wheel impaired is a potential killer. Andrew Pott should be alive today.”

Community Mourning and Memorials

In the hours after the crash, a spontaneous memorial appeared at the side of I-89 southbound near mile marker 4.3 – a location now marked by a small wooden cross, a FedEx cap, and a bouquet of white roses. Vermont State Police allowed the memorial to remain as long as it did not create a hazard for passing motorists.

In Burke, the Pott family home has become a gathering place for mourners. Neighbors brought casseroles, flowers, and handwritten notes. The Burke Mountain ski area, where Andrew had worked part-time as a lift operator during winters, plans to hold a candlelight vigil on Saturday evening. A moment of silence is also being observed at FedEx distribution centers across northern New England.

FedEx Corporation released a statement Friday morning: “We are deeply saddened by the loss of our team member Andrew Pott. Our hearts go out to his family, his fiancée, and his colleagues. We are cooperating fully with law enforcement and providing support to those affected by this tragedy.”

Legal Proceedings and Next Steps

Gabriel Vestal remains out of custody pending his June court date in Windsor County. He is required to appear at the Windsor County Criminal Court in White River Junction, Vermont. Conditions of his release have not been made public, but standard conditions for DUI charges include no driving without a valid license and no consumption of alcohol or illegal drugs.

The Vermont State Police are continuing their crash reconstruction, and the results of Vestal’s blood toxicology test – expected in four to six weeks – will determine whether additional charges are filed. The Windsor County State’s Attorney, Ward Goodenough, has not yet commented on whether his office will seek enhanced penalties.

If additional charges such as gross negligent operation with death resulting are filed, Vestal could face a significant prison sentence. However, Vermont’s criminal justice system also emphasizes restorative justice and rehabilitation. Any final outcome will depend on the evidence, plea negotiations, and the wishes of the Pott family.

A Final Word

Andrew Pott was 36 years old. He drove a FedEx truck through the Green Mountains, delivered packages to Vermonters, and loved his fiancée and his dogs. On a Thursday night in April, his life was ended by a driver who, police say, chose to get behind the wheel of a BMW while impaired. The irony is not lost: a luxury car, a man with no criminal record, and a split-second decision that has left a trail of destruction.

Vermont State Police have charged Gabriel Vestal with DUI. More charges may come. But no charge will bring Andrew Pott back to the FedEx depot, to his fiancée’s arms, or to the quiet town of Burke where he belonged.

As the sun rose over the Connecticut River Valley on April 10, 2026, the southbound lanes of I-89 were once again filled with traffic – commuters, trucks, families. Many drivers slowed near mile marker 4.3, where the guardrail still shows fresh scars. Some may have whispered a prayer. Others may have thought, “That could have been me.” And somewhere, a FedEx truck rolled on without its driver, a small American flag taped to the dashboard in his memory.

Rest in peace, Andrew Pott. You were killed by a choice you did not make. Your name will not be forgotten.

Anyone with information about the crash – including witnesses who may have seen the BMW or FedEx truck prior to the collision – is asked to contact the Vermont State Police at (802) 234-9933 or submit an anonymous tip through the Vermont Crime Information Center.

If you or someone you know is about to drive after drinking, please call a cab, a rideshare, or a sober friend. The life you save may be a FedEx driver named Andy who just wants to go home.