The streamer who vowed to walk over 3,000 miles across America is now recovering from a hospital bed. Isaiah Thomas, known online as HMBL Zay, was struck by a car in Indiana on Tuesday afternoon during his 100-day trek from Philadelphia to Southern California. The terrifying moment, captured on his live stream, sent him flying off camera.
Zay had just announced his arrival in Indiana hours before the crash. He posed in front of a “Welcome To Indiana” highway sign, writing that he had made it 650 miles on foot. Two states down, seven to go. But within four hours, his next post showed him picking himself up off the ground after a chain-reaction collision.
A dark blue Mazda had been trailing Zay as a protective buffer, with hazard lights flashing to warn other drivers. Then a silver sedan rear-ended the Mazda at speed, propelling the car forward directly into the streamer. The 3000-mile faith walk charity mission nearly ended in tragedy as Zay’s cart was knocked over and his belongings scattered across the roadway.
Police and firefighters arrived within 20 minutes. Zay told officers on the scene that his back brace had saved his life. He was transported to a hospital for tests on his neck, feet, and legs.
From his hospital bed wearing a neck brace, Zay posted a video update thanking supporters. He confirmed he was stable and undergoing tests. Then he made his position clear: he is not ending the trip.
“We gonna finish this race,” he said. “We ain’t gonna let the devil win. We gonna make sure that we finish this marathon that God put me on. God is the greatest. I’m alive and that’s all that matters.”
He later shut down claims that his spotter was to blame for the crash, explaining that a speeding car behind the trailing vehicle caused the chain reaction. Medical officials and police are still trying to figure out how he survived the impact. One officer told him, “I’m just so happy I’m looking at you like this and I’m not looking at you dead.”
Zay launched his journey on March 26 with a singular goal: to build a trade school for teens called HMBL University. The 3,000-mile walk is a fundraising campaign for the school, which would offer classes in CNA, plumbing, electrical work, HVAC, carpentry, and medical tech.
He has raised just under 45,000ofhis200,000 goal through a GoFundMe campaign. The funds would also help bring students to Africa to expose them to new cultures and possibilities beyond their environment. “This is bigger than me,” Zay wrote. “It’s about creating access, building futures, and showing young people that their circumstances don’t define their potential.”
Despite the crash, Zay has vowed to keep his promise to God and finish what he started. “I don’t care about how I crawl to the finish line,” he said. The road to California just got a lot harder.
