If Pokémon Go accidents haven’t proven this point enough already, being distracted by the internet while driving is a surefire way to cause a car accident. Our most recent example is Kick streamer, Jackie, from Los Angeles, California, who crashed her car last week during a livestream. Sadly for Jackie, the evidence was overwhelming, as she had her eyes glued to her phone (and her Kick chat) more so than the road.
Jackie, the 23-year-old “Just Chatting” and IRL creator, was broadcasting to her followers on Kick during a late-night drive around November 9, when the accident occurred. In the viral clip, Jackie can be seen looking down at her phone to read viewer messages before a loud crash cuts the stream short. “I just hit a car,” she gasps, covering her mouth in shock as the video abruptly ends. Here’s a reupload of the clip since Jackie’s videos are no longer accessible in Kick.
Thankfully, no major injuries were reported, though the incident quickly spread across Reddit, TikTok, and X (formerly Twitter), with users condemning the streamer’s reckless behavior. “She barely looks at the road… It’s crazy people like this are out there with us,” one commenter wrote.
In a public apology posted two days later, Jackie admitted fault using her X account: “I made a serious mistake streaming while driving and caused an accident. The other driver and I are both fine… I was distracted by streaming, which is inexcusable. I take full responsibility and I won’t be streaming while driving again.”
It might not be up to Jackie, however, as Kick moved swiftly to ban Jackie’s account, citing violations of its safety policies. Before the crash, she had amassed nearly 10,000 followers and was steadily growing her audience through casual IRL content.
People online are slamming Jackie
The incident reignited debate over dangerous IRL content and whether platforms like Kick and Twitch are doing enough to curb unsafe streaming behavior. IRL content, for the record, is one of the most popular formats right now. Experts warn that distracted driving, even momentary, can have deadly consequences, and Jackie’s crash serves as a viral reminder that no stream is worth risking lives for.
And despite getting slammed with another car, Jackie’s critics are slamming her again online for her behavior, as during the drive, she merely looked at the road for a couple of seconds, while her eyes were mostly on the phone, likely reading chat messages. “Feel like this happens way to much with streamers, they gotta focus on the road not chat 😭,” suspects an X user.
“If you’re too busy streaming and checking your phone, its not an accident. As far as im concerned it’s wilful endangerment and she should have the book thrown at her. Literally and figuratively,” according to another critic. Sadly, this isn’t the first time an IRL streamer caused a car accident. Earlier in November, another one also crashed and even hit a pedestrian instead of a car, with some rather dire consequences.
