TikTok streamer charged with homicide after fatal crash while live

Local police have charged an Illinois driver who struck and killed a pedestrian while she was reportedly livestreaming on TikTok.

According to The New York Times, Tynesha McCarty-Wroten, known online as “Tea Tyme,” has been charged by the Zion Police Department with two felonies: reckless homicide and aggravated use of a communications device resulting in death.

In a video circulating on various social media accounts, a woman identified as McCarty-Wroten can be seen speaking into her phone while driving. Moments later, a loud thud is heard. An offscreen child asks, “What was that?” to which the woman responds, “I hit somebody.”

Surveillance footage reportedly shows McCarty-Wroten’s vehicle entering the intersection while the traffic light was still red. Investigators found that she did not appear to slow down or change course before striking the victim, 53-year-old Darren Lucas, who was later pronounced dead at the hospital.

McCarty-Wroten’s lawyer told the NYT that evidence will demonstrate that “what happened was an accident, was a negligent act, but was not an intentional or reckless act.”

This incident has reignited concerns about the dangers of using social media while driving. Law enforcement officials emphasized that interacting with apps or livestreaming while driving constitutes a major distraction with potentially fatal consequences. McCarty-Wroten has since been released on pre-trial conditions and is scheduled to appear in court again as the legal proceedings continue.