Woman charged with hitting, killing man while livestreaming behind wheel in Zion, Illinois
A woman stood charged Wednesday in a car-into-pedestrian crash that killed a man in November in Zion, Illinois north of Chicago.
The case back in November gained a lot of attention after it turned out that the woman, Tynesha McCarty-Wroten, 43, was livestreaming herself on TikTok while driving when it happened.
A warrant was issued for McCarty-Wroten's arrest on charges of reckless homicide, and aggravated use of an electronic communications device while driving. Zion police said within an hour, they found and arrested McCarty-Wroten as she left her house with several packed bags.
On Monday, Nov. 3, around 5:46 p.m., the Zion police and fire departments were called to the intersection of 33rd Street and Sheridan Road after a car hit a pedestrian. The pedestrian, later identified as 59-year-old Darren Lucas, was rushed to Vista Medical Center in Waukegan, where he died.
At the time, Lucas had just finished his shift at a grocery store nearby and was walking home to Beach Park, police said. He was trying to cross Sheridan Road at 33rd Street when he was hit by a car headed south on Sheridan Road, police said.
Witnesses stopped to help Lucas and call 911, police said.
After hitting Lucas, McCarty-Wroten remained at the scene and cooperated with officers, police said.
McCarty-Wroten had an 8-year-old child in the car with her at the time, and neither she nor the child needed medical aid, police said.
McCarty-Wroten agreed to come to the Zion Police Department, where she took a blood and urine test. She told police she believed she had a green light when she went through the intersection, and did not see Lucas until it was too late, police said.
Investigators asked to search McCarty-Wroten's cellphone, but she declined, police said.
Meanwhile, investigators studied the scene, collected witness statements, and looked for surveillance video, police said. The video police found that McCarty-Wroten had, in fact, run a red light, police said.
The video also showed McCarty-Wroten was also traveling near the speed limit of 35 mph, and she did not seem to slow or change course before hitting Lucas.
In the ensuing days, Zion police investigators received numerous tips pointing to a TikTok video that showed McCarty-Wroten livestreaming herself on TikTok while driving at the time of the crash, police said.
Police preserved and verified the video, and McCarty-Wroten later gave police her cellphone, police said.
On Tuesday, Dec. 23, felony charges were approved in a warrant against McCarty-Wroten, police said.
After a judge signed the warrant, investigators asked McCarty-Wroten's lawyer to have her surrender on the charges. But the attorney could only say McCarty-Wroten would surrender within a week, police said.
Zion police investigators then sought to contact McCarty-Wroten directly. She was found leaving her home from several packed bags when she was arrested without incident, police said.
McCarty-Wroten was taken to the Lake County Jail pending a first appearance court hearing.