A TikTok creator known online as Tea Tyme has been arrested after she reportedly mowed down and killed a pedestrian. Tea, legally named Tynesha McCarty-Wroten, is spending Christmas Eve in police custody for the incident that occurred in a Chicago-area suburb on November 3.
Reports say McCarty-Wroten was live-streaming on TikTok with a greenscreen background at the time of the incident. The greenscreen was seemingly to bypass TikTok’s policy, which prohibits streaming and driving.
She was in the middle of a sentence when she struck the pedestrian, later identified as 59-year-old Darren Lucas. Police say he was crossing an intersection when a vehicle hit him. A thud was heard in the background, which is believed to be the sound of impact, followed by McCarty-Wroten uttering a string of expletives. McCarty-Wroten exclaimed in shock that she had hit someone, and a child who was inside the vehicle asked what had happened before the livestream abruptly ended.
Following the incident, McCarty-Wroten called the police and waited at the scene for them to arrive. Lucas was rushed to the hospital while she gave officers a statement. Officials later reported that Lucas succumbed to his injuries.
McCarty-Wroten was arrested on Tuesday by Zion police and booked into jail for reckless homicide and aggravated use of a communication device resulting in death. Following the crash, McCarty-Wroten returned to social media just days after Lucas died. She hosted another livestream in which she asked viewers for financial support, saying she needed help to take a mental break. That request sparked backlash from many users, especially given the circumstances surrounding the fatal crash.
Authorities have not indicated when McCarty-Wroten is expected to appear in court. Family members of Darren Lucas were later informed of the arrest by the state attorney’s office. According to reports, relatives expressed relief that the case was moving forward.
