Popular YouTuber Jack Doherty crashed his $300,000 McLaren 570S while live streaming, leaving his friend Michael David covered in blood in a horrifying incident that has quickly gone viral online.
The 20-year-old content creator, known for his pranks and stunts, was live streaming on the platform Kick as he drove at high speeds in torrential rain, glancing down at his phone and steering with one hand. Footage from the stream shows Doherty losing control of the custom-wrapped supercar, causing it to skid across the wet Miami highway before careening into a metal roadside barrier, tearing off the bonnet and destroying the front of the vehicle.
While Doherty emerged unscathed from the crash, his friend Michael was seen with blood streaming down his face and was taken to the hospital for treatment. Despite the severity of the accident, Doherty handed Michael the camera moments after the crash and said, “Michael, here. Film on that phone too.”
Over 185,000 people were reportedly watching the livestream when the crash occurred. Doherty, who hails from Long Island, New York, and now lives in Los Angeles, has amassed 14.9 million YouTube subscribers, primarily young viewers drawn to his prank and stunt videos. However, this latest incident has drawn significant backlash from both fellow influencers and viewers, criticising Doherty for appearing more concerned about filming content and his car than his injured friend.
Social media influencer Corinna Kopf expressed her disapproval on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “Your friend’s face is gushing blood but you make sure he stays filming from all angles… nice.
Following the crash, footage from the stream shows Doherty handing his camera to someone who came to help, instructing them to film as he was dragged out of the car window. Throughout, he was seen repeatedly commenting on the damage to his McLaren while his injured friend clutched his wrist and received help from bystanders.
The incident has also led to Doherty being banned from the streaming platform Kick for violating its safety guidelines, specifically for his actions of reading the live chat while driving.
Doherty has faced criticism before for his controversial behaviour and provocative content, which often involves antagonizing strangers and creating confrontational situations in public places. In his videos, he has been seen challenging strangers and relying on his security guard, Kane Kongg, to step in when tensions escalate. This behaviour has led to accusations of harassment, with many describing his actions as rude and dangerous.
Earlier this year, Doherty and Kongg, whose real name is Justin Goslee, were served legal papers and sued by a man who claimed he was punched by Kongg after being provoked by Doherty.
Despite the criticism, Doherty’s content remains popular among his audience of mostly teenage boys, who find his pranks and stunts entertaining. However, many viewers and fellow content creators are now questioning his reckless behaviour, especially given the latest crash, which comes just 10 months after Doherty flipped a golf cart with his girlfriend in the passenger seat—an incident he also posted online.
The crash has once again raised concerns about the safety risks involved in creating engaging but hazardous content for social media, particularly when the well-being of others is at stake.
