SCOTT TOWNSHIP, Pa. — It's been days filled with emotion for families in southern New York State after Tuesday night's deadly wreck on Interstate 81 north near Waverly killed Fatma Ahmed, Shahzinaz Mizouri, Berivan Zebara, Aleen Ameen, and Harvrist Zebari.
"Ultimately, we received the news that none had survived," said Karwan Zebari, who lost his two sisters and his niece.
"When we spoke to the coroner and the state trooper who are on the scene first, just as they called it, a freak accident, very unlucky," said Zebari, "where everything that could go wrong went wrong."
Family members say all 5 women were driving back to the Binghamton area after flying home from a religious pilgrimage to Mecca.
Shivan Mizouri and Nizar Huseyin say their mothers looked forward to taking this trip their entire lives.
"She always used to pray; always was her dream to go there, to come back, she would say to my dad every day," said Huseyin. "It is my dream to go there."
"My mom meant a lot to this community," said Mizouri. "I can't just speak for my mom only; every single one of them meant so much to this community, one way or another."
In the aftermath of the tragedy, the men hope their family's loss serves as a reminder of how quickly life can change.
"My advice is please adhere to the warning system to the officials when they tell us to slow down, there is a reason for it," said Zebari. "These five lives could've been with us today."
"I would love to have one more second with my mom, just to hold her hand and to tell her I love her, but just, you know, the message is spend every second with your loved one," said Mizouri.