YouTube star Ben Potter’s cause of death confirmed by police

The cause of death of YouTube star Ben Potter, a.k.a Comicstorian, has been confirmed by police.

On Monday (10 June), his wife Nathalie posted a heartbreaking message saying that the comic book expert had died in an “unfortunate accident,” but didn’t give further details as to the circumstances.

However, the following day, the Colorado State Patrol revealed that Potter, 40, had been driving his Toyota 4Runner SUV near the town of Fort Collins on Saturday morning when he careered off the road, rolling several times.

He was the only person inside the truck and no other vehicles were involved in the crash, the force told The Denver Post.

The 40-year-old was said to be wearing his seatbelt and driving within the speed limit at the time. He also wasn’t believed to be on drugs or alcohol.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

In her moving statement, which she posted to her late husband's Twitter/X account, Nathalie said: "To many of you, [Ben] was Comicstorian, voicing stories from across multiple different mediums. To his loved ones, he was one of the best and most supportive individuals anyone could ask for."

She continued: "As a husband, a son, a brother, a friend, or even just a stranger, Ben was loving and genuine. He was someone who would listen and make time for his loved ones. He would do his best to make everyone laugh and make sure they were okay. He was our rock and he'd reassure his loved ones whenever they needed it."

Ben Potter was beloved by his friends, family and legions of fans(Getty Images)

Potter launched his Comicstorian YouTube channel in 2014 and quickly gained a massive following by creating audio dramas for comic books.

The superhero aficionado also used the channel to share reviews and close analyses of various graphic novels and superhero products, most notably those created by Marvel and DC Comics.

He also had almost 200,000 subscribers to his gaming channel, Eligible Monster Gaming, where he would discuss “video game lore” from fan-favourite franchises including Assassin’s Creed and Resident Evil.

In addition, he juggled a vlog and manga channel called Mangastorian, which was focused on content from Japan.

The self-styled comic book nerd posted some 4,000 videos over his 10-year content-creating career(@Comicstorian/YouTube)

In her message, Nathalie vowed to maintain his rich legacy, stressing that her "priority" was now to "[preserve] everything he's built," and adding: "I don't have any plans beyond that."

Concluding the emotional post, she added: “Ben spent over 10 years spreading his love and appreciation for his hobbies. It was through his love of exciting stories and well-written characters that got him started on YouTube.

“The team and I want to keep that going. To honour him by continuing to tell great stories by great people, as well as to keep the memory of our very own superhero alive.

“We supported each other on everything we wanted to do and I'm not about to stop now.”

Nathalie’s post racked up more than 11.3 million views and 125,000 likes in just over a day as fans flocked to share their condolences.

Fellow YouTuber Paul Tweddle (a.k.a. Heavy Spoilers) tweeted: “Incredibly heart breaking, Comicstorian was an absolutely incredible YouTuber that pioneered so much and got so many people into reading comics. Devastating news. Rest in peace.”

Batman writer Scott Snyder wrote: "Completely Stunned and deeply saddened to hear this. Benny’s love for comics was infectious and amazing to be around. My sincere condolences to his family."

Meanwhile, gaming expert Miller Ross wrote: “He did so much for so many. I am absolutely gutted to hear this. Rest in peace, Ben.

And a third commentator said: “I'm so incredibly sorry for your loss. I didn't know Benny long but from the short time we were friends I could tell he was a genuinely great person and individual.

“He was one of the best parts of the platform. Never shied away from showing how passionate he was about things he was genuinely interested in. I'm very thankful for the time I knew him.”

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