
The McKendree University community is dealing with the heart-wrenching news following a tragic incident this week. Colleen Lischwe, the university's water polo coach, has been identified as the victim of a fatal collision on Interstate 44. The esteemed coach, aged 34, met with the tragic accident on Wednesday morning, a loss that has greatly impacted colleagues, students, and the larger sports community.
Lischwe, who helmed the men's and women's water polo teams at McKendree, was lauded for her exceptional coaching abilities and her trailblazing role, being the only woman to serve as a head coach of a men’s NCAA water polo team. The KSDK report notes a GoFundMe campaign has raised approximately $15,000 in her memory, earmarked for her family. "She was probably one of the most caring people that I've ever met," Miguel Figueras, who coached alongside Lischwe, told KSDK.
The incident occurred when a semi-truck collided with Lischwe's car, pushing it off the interstate, according to FOX 2 Now. The crash's impact reverberated through the campus, with McKendree’s Director of Athletics Anthony Francis characterizing Lischwe as a "hammer, a go-getter, and hardworking," expressing the profound loss to the university.
Commemorative efforts have shown a groundswell of support, with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch coverage revealing more than $31,000 raised in the first six hours of the fundraiser's inception. "She was very much loved," said Angela Gallagher, who contributed to the fundraising efforts and whose son was coached by Lischwe. The crash has not yet led to any charges against the truck driver, involved, who is reportedly cooperating with the investigation.
As details of the crash continue to unfold, authorities have stated that the truck driver admitted to looking down for a drink at the time of the incident. Police investigations are ongoing, with no arrests made at this point.