A live-streamer was headed for Indianapolis as part of a fundraising trek across the United States when he was struck by a car in a video that went viral this week.
But Isaiah Maquis Thomas, who goes by the name hmblzayy on the Twitch video live-streaming platform, is vowing to complete his journey.
The Philadelphia man was in Wayne County, walking westbound along U.S. 40 near Hildebrand Road on the afternoon of April 28, when he was struck by a car that was supporting his walk, according to a release from the county sheriff.
Where was live-streamer headed when he was hit?
His goal was to walk 3,000 miles over 100 days – from Philadelphia to California – to build a trade school for underserved teens.
Thomas, 28, had made it 650 miles in to Indiana when the accident happened. A video posted showed him saying, “Indianapolis, we’re on our way. Let’s get it!”
He was about six hours away from his next checkpoint, according to a timer shown on the screen when he was hit.
Thomas also posted the aftermath, when he is shown walking while showing his pants and sneakers ripped as a woman told him an ambulance was on the way.
Getting back to live-streaming after accident
On April 29, he updated followers from a hospital bed, saying he was undergoing tests and he will resume his quest.
“We’ll be back livestreaming real soon. We’re gonna finish this race. We ain’t gonna let the devil win,” he said. “God is the greatest. I’m alive, and that’s all that matters.”
“I made a promise to God, no matter what happens, I’m going to finish it,” he said. “I don’t care if I have to crawl to the finish line.”
Thomas explained that he was struck by a car following him on the trek after it was hit by another vehicle.
The support vehicle, a Mazda CX-5, was driven by a Richmond resident, police said their preliminary investigation found.
A second westbound vehicle, a 2000 silver Buick LeSabre driven by a Connersville resident, struck the rear of the Mazda, pushing it into Thomas. A juvenile passenger was also in the LeSabre at the time.
IndyStar is not naming the drivers because no one faced charges at time of publication. Police said the investigation is ongoing.
Both drivers and the juvenile passenger were transported to a local hospital for evaluation and treatment, police said.
Contact Midwest Connect reporter Cheryl V. Jackson at cjackson@usatodayco.com or 317-444-6264. Follow her on X.com: @cherylvjackson or Bluesky: @cherylvjackson.bsky.social.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Live-streamer hit by car in Indiana vows to finish trek
Reporting by Cheryl V. Jackson, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
