An Illinois driver who struck and killed a pedestrian while she was allegedly livestreaming on TikTok has been charged by local authorities. The Zion Police Department has accused Tynesha McCarty-Wroten, also known online as “Tea Tyme,” with two felonies: willful homicide and aggravated use of a communications device resulting in death, according to The New York Times. A video of a woman identified as McCarty-Wroten talking on her phone while driving has gone viral on social media. A heavy impact is heard a few moments later. “What was that?” a toddler asks off-screen, to which the mother answers, “I hit somebody.”
According to surveillance footage, McCarty-Wroten’s car entered the intersection while the traffic signal was still red. Before hitting the victim, 53-year-old Darren Lucas, who was subsequently declared dead at the hospital, investigators discovered that she did not appear to slow down or alter her route. Evidence will show that “what happened was an accident, was a negligent act, but was not an intentional or reckless act,” McCarty-Wroten’s attorney told the New York Times.
Concerns regarding the risks of using social media while driving have been rekindled by this occurrence. Law enforcement officers stressed that using apps or livestreaming while operating a vehicle is a serious distraction that might be fatal. Since then, McCarty-Wroten has been freed on pre-trial terms and is expected to reappear in court as the case progresses.
