Woman Accused of Running Over Man to Death While Using TikTok

SadaNews - The American police in Illinois have filed criminal charges against a woman after her involvement in a hit-and-run incident that resulted in the death of a pedestrian while she was live-streaming on the "TikTok" application, an incident that has sparked widespread controversy over the dangers of using phones while driving.

According to media reports, the Zion City Police announced two criminal charges against Tanisha McCarty-Roten, known on "TikTok" as Tea Tyme, including involuntary manslaughter due to negligence and aggravated use of a communication device that led to death.

Video footage, widely circulated on the platform, showed the woman speaking to her phone during the live broadcast before a loud crash was heard, according to a report published by "Tech Crunch" which "Al Arabiya Business" reviewed.

In the clip, a child is heard asking, "What was that?", to which she responds, "I hit someone".

Surveillance camera recordings revealed that the car entered the intersection while the traffic light was red, without showing any attempt by the driver to slow down or change lanes, which led to the running over of a man named Daren Lucas, who was taken to the hospital before being pronounced dead later.

For his part, the accused's attorney told the "New York Times" that the evidence will prove that what happened was "an accidental incident due to negligence, not a deliberate or reckless act", stressing that his client did not intend to cause the accident.

The case shines a light once again on the increasing dangers of using smartphones and social media while driving, amidst calls for stricter laws to curb these behaviors.