Darren Lucas Obituary, Death; – A woman was charged on Wednesday in connection with a car-pedestrian collision that resulted in the death of a man in November in Zion, Illinois, located north of Chicago.
The incident in November attracted significant media attention after it was revealed that the woman, Tynesha McCarty-Wroten, 43, was livestreaming on TikTok while driving at the time of the accident.
A warrant was issued for McCarty-Wroten’s arrest on charges of reckless homicide and aggravated use of an electronic communications device while operating a vehicle. According to Zion police, they located and apprehended McCarty-Wroten within an hour as she was leaving her residence with multiple packed bags.
On Monday, November 3, at approximately 5:46 p.m., the Zion police and fire departments responded to a call at the intersection of 33rd Street and Sheridan Road, where a vehicle had struck a pedestrian. The pedestrian, later identified as 59-year-old Darren Lucas, was transported to Vista Medical Center in Waukegan, where he succumbed to his injuries.
At the time of the incident, Lucas had just completed his shift at a nearby grocery store and was walking home to Beach Park, according to police reports. He was attempting to cross Sheridan Road at 33rd Street when he was struck by a vehicle traveling south on Sheridan Road, police stated.
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.
