🏃🏽‍♀️ UIC Track Athlete Sariyah Watson Killed in Wrong-Way Crash While Traveling Home for Mother’s Day

A Mother’s Day journey meant to reunite a daughter with her family ended in unimaginable tragedy after a wrong-way crash claimed the lives of three people on Interstate 88 in Illinois.

According to the Illinois State Police, 21-year-old Sariyah Watson, a student-athlete at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), was traveling westbound near Aurora during the early morning hours of May 10, 2026, when a vehicle entered the interstate in the wrong direction.

Investigators say a 32-year-old man from Melrose Park was driving eastbound in the westbound lanes near milepost 112 before colliding head-on with the vehicle carrying Watson and another 21-year-old woman.

Emergency crews responded to the scene shortly after 4 a.m. following multiple reports from motorists who witnessed the collision. Authorities closed the westbound lanes for several hours while investigators processed the crash scene and cleared the wreckage.

Police confirmed that Sariyah Watson, the second young woman traveling with her, and the wrong-way driver all died from injuries sustained in the collision. At the time of publication, authorities had not publicly identified the second victim.

Investigators continue working to determine what caused the driver to enter the interstate in the wrong direction. Officials have not announced whether alcohol, drugs, fatigue, a medical emergency, or another factor contributed to the crash.

Watson’s death has deeply affected the University of Illinois Chicago community, where she was known as a standout member of the women’s track and field team.

Teammates and friends remembered her as an athlete whose determination on the track was matched by her compᴀssion off it. They described her as someone who encouraged others, celebrated teammates’ successes, and made those around her feel valued.

Beyond athletics, Watson was pursuing a degree in sports management and hoped to build a career helping young people through athletics and mentorship programs. During a previous summer program in Seattle, she worked with at-risk youth, encouraging children to believe in themselves and pursue positive opportunities through sports.

Family members later shared that Watson had been driving home to DeKalb to spend Mother’s Day with her mother—a reunion that heartbreakingly never happened.

Among the many tributes shared after her pᴀssing, one message from her father resonated deeply with those mourning her loss.

“The finish line came too soon.”

As investigators continue seeking answers about the crash, friends, teammates, and loved ones are choosing to remember Sariyah Watson not only as a gifted athlete but as a compᴀssionate young woman whose kindness, determination, and bright future left a lasting impact on everyone fortunate enough to know her.

Her memory will continue to inspire both on and off the track. 🕊️🏃🏽‍♀️💙