An online creator in Illinois who struck and killed a pedestrian with her car during a livestream she was hosting on TikTok was charged this week with two felonies, the police said.
The creator, Tynesha McCarty-Wroten, 43, was arrested on Tuesday in connection with the Nov. 3 crash that killed Darren Lucas, 59, of Beach Park, Ill., according to a news release from the Zion Police Department.
Ms. McCarty-Wroten, who is known to her online followers as Tea Tyme, was livestreaming on TikTok in her car with an 8-year-old child when she fatally struck Mr. Lucas, the authorities said.
She was booked on felony charges of reckless homicide and aggravated use of a communications device resulting in death. She was being held without bond.
Jed Stone, Ms. McCarty-Wroten’s lawyer, said that the evidence against his client was not as “bold and clear” as the prosecution had made it out to be.
“In this case, when the evidence is presented, we will see that what happened was an accident, was a negligent act, but was not an intentional or reckless act,” Mr. Stone said on Friday.
The authorities said Mr. Lucas was walking home from his job at a nearby grocery store around 5:45 p.m. when Ms. McCarty-Wroten struck him at an intersection in Zion, Ill., which is about 45 miles north of Chicago.
He was taken to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Ms. McCarty-Wroten remained at the scene of the crash and agreed to provide a statement to officers at the Zion Police Department. She told the police that she thought she had a green light when she entered the intersection and did not see Mr. Lucas until it was too late.
Ms. McCarty-Wroten also submitted a blood and urine test, which is standard practice for crashes that involve deaths, the police said. She initially declined to let investigators search her phone, the police said.
Surveillance video from nearby businesses showed that Ms. McCarty-Wroten’s car entered the intersection when the traffic light was red. Investigators determined that she was traveling near the speed limit and that her car did not appear to slow or change course before hitting Mr. Lucas.
Mr. Stone said that police reports filed in connection with the crash said it happened on a dark night in a dimly lit intersection, and that Mr. Lucas was wearing dark clothing.
The evidence that Mr. McCarty-Wroten ran a red light also conflicted with a witness report, he added.
In the days after the crash, the Zion Police Department said that numerous people contacted investigators to tell them about a TikTok video that showed Ms. McCarty-Wroten livestreaming herself at the time of the crash.
The video, which has been shared by several accounts on TikTok, shows a woman with a livestreaming background that says “Tea Tyme” speaking to her phone before being interrupted by a loud thud.
The woman screamed and a child can be heard asking, “What was that?”
“I hit somebody,” the woman said before ending the livestream.
The police preserved the video and verified it by using multiple search warrants and analysis of electronic data.
Ms. McCarty-Wroten later surrendered her phone through her lawyer, and forensic analysis confirmed that the video was recorded at the date and time of the crash, the police said.
Within an hour of an arrest warrant being issued on Tuesday, investigators said they found Ms. McCarty-Wroten leaving her home with several packed bags. She was taken into custody, the police said.
Ms. McCarty-Wroten has a record of traffic violations, including operating a vehicle without insurance and speeding, according to Lake County Circuit Court records.
She is scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on Jan. 27.
Hannah Ziegler is a general assignment reporter for The Times, covering topics such as crime, business, weather, pop culture and online trends.
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