Twitch streamer Isaiah Thomas, known online as hmblzayy, was hit by a car while live-streaming his cross-country charity walk, an incident he described to the BBC as feeling like "slow motion."
Thomas, 27, was on the 34th day of a challenge to walk over 3,000 miles from Philadelphia to California, raising funds to build a trade school for children who cannot afford college. On Tuesday, while walking along Route 40 in Richmond, Indiana, a car struck the escort vehicle behind him, which then hit him.
"It was so fast, but it felt like it was in slow motion; it was like I was just gliding in the air – it was crazy," Thomas said. He added that many thoughts raced through his mind, including the fear that his injuries might end his journey. This was especially concerning since he had been in a severe car accident six months prior and had to relearn how to walk through therapy.
Normally, Thomas walks facing traffic with reflectors and a cart ahead of him. However, a fan offered to drive behind him with hazard lights on, and after police approval, he proceeded. Thomas was struck from behind on his right side.
After the crash, he saw both vehicles were totaled, but neither driver was seriously hurt. Emergency services arrived, and Thomas showed police a clip of the incident captured by a moderator from his stream. "When I watched the video, that's when I was surprised, like, wow, this car really hit me that hard," he said.
Despite suffering sprained ankles and minor injuries, Thomas plans to continue his walk after a short rest involving ice baths. "I got about three more months left to get there – about 2,000 miles left. So I got a long way to go," he said. He has already raised over $50,000 for his cause.