A Philadelphia Twitch streamer was struck by a car in Indiana while livestreaming his cross-country walk to thousands of viewers. Isaiah Thomas, 27, known online as Minister Zay, was walking along a highway on Tuesday during the 34th day of his journey from Philadelphia to California when the incident occurred.According to the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, Thomas was being followed by a supporter driving a blue Mazda when another vehicle, driven by an 82-year-old man, rear-ended the Mazda, pushing it into Thomas and sending him into the air. “I am tired and I look up and all I remember was something hitting the back of me real fast. I just remember this is the only time in my life where I felt a moment that went so fast, but it felt like slow motion,” Thomas said. The mission behind the walkThomas, a Nicetown native, is walking 3,000 miles to raise money for a trade school he hopes to build to support underserved kids in Philadelphia. “I want to able to show the kids that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. A lot of kids are on Twitch, YouTube, and TikTok, so I figured I am going to utilize this platform to be able to see this turn a lot of negativity into something positive,” Thomas said. He explained that his motivation stems from his own life experiences. “In Philadelphia, a lot of kids lose their lives to gun violence, or enter the system, and me growing up, I was one of the kids,” Thomas said. Injuries and next stepsThe crash left Thomas bruised and with minor injuries, sending him to the hospital. Despite the setback, he remains determined to continue his journey. “First I was super grateful when the results came back and nothing was broken or fractured. I really want to continue to walk and do what I have to do,” Thomas said. Thomas plans to resume his walk to the West Coast in just a few days, telling his supporters, “Be back livestreaming real soon.”

A Philadelphia Twitch streamer was struck by a car in Indiana while livestreaming his cross-country walk to thousands of viewers.

Isaiah Thomas, 27, known online as Minister Zay, was walking along a highway on Tuesday during the 34th day of his journey from Philadelphia to California when the incident occurred.

According to the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, Thomas was being followed by a supporter driving a blue Mazda when another vehicle, driven by an 82-year-old man, rear-ended the Mazda, pushing it into Thomas and sending him into the air.

“I am tired and I look up and all I remember was something hitting the back of me real fast. I just remember this is the only time in my life where I felt a moment that went so fast, but it felt like slow motion,” Thomas said.

The mission behind the walk

Thomas, a Nicetown native, is walking 3,000 miles to raise money for a trade school he hopes to build to support underserved kids in Philadelphia.

“I want to able to show the kids that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. A lot of kids are on Twitch, YouTube, and TikTok, so I figured I am going to utilize this platform to be able to see this turn a lot of negativity into something positive,” Thomas said.

He explained that his motivation stems from his own life experiences.

“In Philadelphia, a lot of kids lose their lives to gun violence, or enter the system, and me growing up, I was one of the kids,” Thomas said.

Injuries and next steps

The crash left Thomas bruised and with minor injuries, sending him to the hospital. Despite the setback, he remains determined to continue his journey.

“First I was super grateful when the results came back and nothing was broken or fractured. I really want to continue to walk and do what I have to do,” Thomas said.

Thomas plans to resume his walk to the West Coast in just a few days, telling his supporters, “Be back livestreaming real soon.”