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TikTokker Tea Tyme asks for donations after allegedly killing pedestrian on livestream

TikTok creator Tea Tyme, also known as Ty Nesha, faces backlash after allegedly hitting and killing a pedestrian while livestreaming and later asking followers for donations to support her “mental leave.”
posted by Ashray BS
Wednesday 11/12/2025 at 6:43AM EST
  • Cars driving at an intersection in the evening (Representational image). Photo: Jens Kalaene/dpa (Photo by Jens Kalaene/picture alliance via Getty Images)
    Cars driving at an intersection in the evening (Representational image). Photo: Jens Kalaene/dpa (Photo by Jens Kalaene/picture alliance via Getty Images)

    A TikTok creator named Tea Tyme or Ty Nesha in real life has drawn fierce backlash after she appeared to hit and kill a pedestrian while live streaming before eventually soliciting donations for her “mental leave.”

    The accident took place November 3, 2025 in Zion, Illinois and has become a public outcry across the US drawing attention to distracted driving and influencer responsibility.

    According to the Zion Police Department, 59-year-old Darren Lucas was killed in a hit-and-run crash as he walked across an intersection in Zion. The 43-year-old woman, who was driving the vehicle, believed to be Nesha, accepted responsibility and cooperated with investigators at the scene after calling 911.

    Police said no drugs or alcohol were believed to have been involved, and no charges have been filed as of now. Shortly after the crash, Tea Tyme turned her TikTok account private and deleted all of her bio information.

    Recordings of her livestream and subsequent videos shared by followers suggest otherwise. She has since gone back online, referencing the event without explicitly admitting fault. In one video, she said her mind was not at “full capacity” and asked her followers to send her money.

    "You know I don’t like asking y’all for anything. But if y’all find it in your heart and wanna support, my CashApp is right there. If y’all wanna pour something in, y’all are more than welcome to do that," she said in a restricted TikTok livestream.

    More about the backlash against Tea Tyme for livestreaming while driving

    A video circulating online suggests that Tea Tyme was livestreaming at the moment of the crash. In the video, she is chatting with her audience as she drives when a very loud thump can be heard.

    In a visibly panicked state, the streamer says: “I just hit somebody,” while another child in the car asks what has occurred before she suddenly cuts off. 

    The Zion Police Department did not respond to a request for comment on Friday, but the police lieutenant, Paul Kehrli, issued a statement saying that detectives know about the livestreamed video and will consider it as part of the investigation into Lucas’s homicide. He refused to elaborate further, saying he could not discuss an active case.

    Tea Tyme’s recent comments were met with criticism on social media. Several users blasted her seeming lack of remorse and accused her of trying to collect funds so soon after the deadly crash.

    Darren Lucas’s relatives have not discussed the incident, but family members say he was a friendly and humorous man who was loved by his community. While the investigation is ongoing, the case has prompted renewed conversation about influencer culture and responsibility, as well as growing hazards of distracted livestreaming.

    TOPICS: Tea Tyme, Darren Lucas, Ty Nesha, Human Interest, TikTok


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