Perry Lee Killed in Wrong-Way Crash Near University of Illinois in Urbana, Illinois on December 20, 2025

Perry Lee, 22, died following a wrong-way traffic collision in Urbana, Illinois, on December 20, 2025. The crash occurred shortly after 2 a.m. at the intersection of Green Street and Mathews Avenue, near the Illini Union, an area with regular late-night pedestrian activity. According to Urbana police, a vehicle traveling the wrong direction entered the intersection at high speed and struck a University of Illinois police squad car before leaving the roadway.

As the vehicle spun onto the sidewalk, it struck Lee, who was standing with a small group of pedestrians. He was transported to the hospital, where he later died from his injuries. The driver, identified as 31-year-old James Buford of Urbana, was arrested days later and charged with multiple felonies, including reckless homicide and leaving the scene of an accident involving a fatality. The investigation remains part of ongoing court proceedings in Champaign County.