by Kate D’Avignon
MELROSE PARK | Sariyah Watson, a 21-year-old junior sprinter on the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) women’s track and field team and a student majoring in sports management, was killed in a fatal wrong-way crash on Interstate 88 near Aurora, on the morning of Sunday, May 10, 2026
Illinois State Police reported that around 4 a.m., Watson was driving eastbound in the lanes of I‑88 when she collided head-on with a vehicle traveling the opposite direction. The other car was driven by a 32-year-old man from Melrose Park. Both cars were heavily damaged, and all three occupants — Watson, her 21-year-old passenger, and the wrong-way driver — were pronounced dead at the scene.
Watson was known to UIC teammates and friends as a vibrant, supportive, and energetic person who lived life with determination and grit. She competed in sprints for UIC and was passionate about mentoring youth, having spent summers working with at-risk youth in Seattle. Her father described her as someone who “lived life basically the way she would finish a race” and who “lit up every room.”.
Community and Institutional Response
UIC Athletics issued a statement expressing “heavy hearts” and offering condolences to her family, friends, teammates, and coaches. The athletic department is providing support services for affected student-athletes, coaches, and staff. Friends and teammates shared tributes online, remembering her laugh, her humor, and her unwavering support for others.
Ongoing Investigation
Illinois State Police are investigating the crash, but no additional details have been released about what led the wrong-way driver to travel in the opposite direction.
Watson was on her way to DeKalb to visit her mother for Mother’s Day when she was hit by the wrong-way driver, according to family and friends.