'She was definitely my champion and always will be,' said Sariyah Watson's father, Antonio Watson.
"She lived life basically the way she would finish a race, with extreme determination and grit," said her father, Antonio Watson. "And it's just so tragic that, you know, the finish line came too soon for her.
"Illinois State Police say she was struck head-on by a wrong-way driver, who was also killed. A friend in Sariyah's vehicle also lost her life. Relatives say Sariyah was on her way to DeKalb to visit her mom for Mother's Day.
"I'm angry, but at this time, I'm choosing to focus on the joy that Sariyah brought our family," said Teresa Jordan, Sariyah's great aunt. Relatives say Sariyah, who was a junior, was majoring in sports management and worked with at-risk youth in a program last summer in Seattle. She was planning to return this summer.
"Children just loved her. Her passion just showed immensely in every life that she touched," her great aunt said. The Kane County coroner has not yet released the name of Sariyah's passenger and that of the other driver who was traveling in the wrong direction. Illinois State Police continue to investigate the crash.
NTSB gathering details about evacuation of plane after it hit personTeen, man charged with murder in deadly shooting of girl's family
Aurora Illinois Aurora Il Aurora News Aurora Crash I-88 Crash Crash On I-88 Wrong Way Crash Sariyah Watson Uic Sariyah Watson Car Accident I-88 Wrong Way Crash I88 Accident I 88 Crash 19084233
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Carey Hart Praises ‘Amazing Mother’ Pink on Mother’s Day: ‘The Kids Are So Lucky’Carey Hart celebrated his wife, Pink, on Mother’s Day 2026 with a rare and public tribute
Read more »
Savannah Guthrie's First Mother's Day Without Her Missing Mother NancyOn Mother's Day, Savannah Guthrie's husband, Michael Feldman, shared a heartbreaking post honoring his wife and her first Mother's Day without her mother Nancy who has been missing since February 1 from her Tucson home. Additionally, Hoda Kotb, Savannah's friend and Today show colleague, posted a heartfelt message as a gesture of support.
Read more »
Ivanka Trump Shares Heartfelt Tribute on Mother's Day, Praising Her Late Mother and GrandmotherIvanka Trump has penned a heartfelt tribute on Mother's Day, sharing an emotional post dedicated to her late mother Ivana and her grandmother Babi. She also included images from her own journey into motherhood after welcoming her three children with husband Jared Kushner.
Read more »
MLB on Mother's Day: Best Moments on Mother's Day Since 2000There have been a handful of special baseball moments on Mother's Day.
Read more »