MILWAUKEE — Iyana Roberson was just days away from turning 18 when she was in a devastating car crash near 91st and Bradley Road in Milwaukee. She died 3 weeks later. The October 3 crash also killed 18-year-old Chase McCune and left two other teens badly injured.
Iyana Roberson's older sister, A'zariah Roberson, survived the fiery crash and pulled her sister from the burning vehicle. She spoke about the tragic night that changed their family forever.
"She was really sweet and goofy," Roberson said. "She had big dreams. She just was getting out of her shell, literally."
The sisters were inseparable, described as both siblings and best friends. Iyana Roberson was planning for her upcoming birthday, graduation, and dreams of leaving Milwaukee to study health care.
"Her personal motto was always be kind," A'zariah Roberson said.
On the night of the crash, Iyana Roberson was riding with her sister and two friends when their car hit a bump at railroad tracks near 91st and Bradley Road.
"Past that train track. And then we went in the air. And then lost control of the car," Roberson said.
Watch: Survivor and relatives share memories of teen who died after fiery Milwaukee crash
The vehicle flipped, slammed into concrete barriers, and landed upside down before catching fire.
"I just see flames and I was like, this can't be real," A'zariah Roberson said.
Both sisters were trapped in the back of the burning car. A'zariah Roberson managed to escape the burning car, force a door open, and pull Iyana to safety.
"We sat down on the grass, car just boom, just blew up. And it blew up a couple times," Roberson said.
The car exploded multiple times, making it impossible to reach McCune, who was driving. Iyana was rushed to the hospital, where she fought for nearly 20 days before dying just before her 18th birthday.
"She fought hard for 20 days," Roberson said, holding back tears.
Iyana Roberson was a student at Vincent High School and worked at Target. She loved music and doing hair, especially styling her sister's hair.
"And she did good. And she was getting real good at it," A'zariah Roberson said about her sister.
Her grandfather, Adrian Roberson, described her as a beautiful fighter and a determined young lady.
The family wants Iyana to be remembered for her kindness and is pleading for safety improvements at 91st and Bradley Road to get drivers to slow down.
"She really looked up to me," Roberson said. "My sister— she was a sweet girl."
Iyana's family has created a GoFundMe to cover funeral expenses and help support the sisters' recovery.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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