Isaiah Thomas, a Twitch streamer known as hmblzayy, was struck by a car while live streaming his 3,000-mile walking challenge. The Twitch streamer struck by a car on live stream described the incident as happening in slow motion. Thomas is walking from Philadelphia to California to raise money for a trade school for children who cannot attend college.
Twitch streamer struck during 3,000-mile challenge
Thomas was walking along Route 40 in Richmond, Indiana, when a car hit the escort vehicle behind him, which then struck him. He described the moment as feeling very fast but also like it was in slow motion, saying he felt like he was gliding in the air. He recalled having many thoughts during the incident, hoping his injuries were not severe and that it was not the end of his journey.
Thomas had recently recovered from a serious car accident six months prior, which required therapy and relearning how to walk. Despite this, he had continued with his walking challenge, which he streams online to raise funds. So far, he has raised over $50,000 for his cause.
Details of the incident and aftermath
Normally, Thomas walks facing oncoming traffic with reflectors and a cart in front of him. On this occasion, a fan offered to drive behind him with hazard lights on, and after notifying the police, Thomas began the 34th day of his challenge. The collision occurred when a car struck him from behind on his right side.
After the crash, Thomas was able to stand and saw that both vehicles involved were totaled, though neither driver was seriously injured. Emergency services arrived, and Thomas showed police a clip of the moment he was hit, which had been captured by one of his moderators from the live stream. Watching the video made him realize the severity of the impact.
Thomas was taken to hospital and was fortunate to sustain only sprained ankles and minor injuries. Despite the shock, he plans to continue his walk after a short recovery period. He intends to take ice baths and rest for several days to help his body recover. He still has about 2,000 miles left to complete his journey, which he expects will take around three more months.