Philadelphia man hit during 3,000-mile charity walk, continues recovery

A livestreamed charity walk built around endurance and public accountability turned dangerous in Richmond, Indiana, when Isaiah Thomas was struck on camera and still decided to continue his cross-country campaign.

Thomas, a 27-year-old from North Philadelphia known online as Minister Zay and hmblzayy, set out on March 26 to walk 3,000 miles from Philadelphia to California. He said the trek was meant to raise $200,000 for HMBL University, a faith-based trade-school program for high school graduates and at-risk youth in Philadelphia. By the time of the crash, he had been on the road for 34 days and had logged about 650 miles, carrying his cause to a national audience through more than a month of continuous streaming on Twitch.

The collision happened Tuesday afternoon along U.S. 40 near Hildebrand Road. Thomas was walking west when a dark blue Mazda trailing him as a safety vehicle was rear-ended by a silver Buick LeSabre driven by an 82-year-old man, police said. The force pushed the Mazda into Thomas, sending him into the air before he got back up and checked whether he could still walk. The crash was captured live on stream.

“It felt like everything was in slow motion,” Thomas said. He later added, “I am blessed to be alive.” He was taken to Reid Health in Richmond and diagnosed with a sprained ankle, bruising, a concussion and other minor injuries. The driver and a juvenile passenger in the other vehicle were also hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.

The episode underscored the risks that come with a growing class of livestreamed endurance challenges, where creators turn physical strain into public content and fundraising into a real-time performance. The format can widen reach fast, but it also raises the stakes when participants are on busy roads, under constant camera scrutiny and dependent on improvised safety plans. Thomas said the supporter driving behind him had contacted state police to make sure it was acceptable to trail him, and he said that vehicle likely prevented worse injuries.

Thomas said he planned to rest for a few days before resuming the walk toward California. His profile had already gained attention in Philadelphia in 2021, when he received a $50,000 Small Wins grant tied to his clothing brand, Stay Humble Stay Hungry, helping establish the entrepreneurial base that now supports his latest, much larger campaign.