In a somber turn of events in the Chicago suburbs, a pregnant mother lost her life to a hit-and-run incident on a normally quiet street. ABC7 Chicago reports that Michelle Heidbrick, aged 36, was fatally struck by a vehicle while crossing near the intersection of Grand Avenue and Jackson Street in Waukegan at approximately 9:30 p.m. on Sunday. Tragically, along with Heidbrick, her unborn child, 22 weeks into pregnancy, did not survive.
Heidbrick, a mother leaving behind a teenage son, was transported to Vista Medical Center East, where she was pronounced dead. According to NBC Chicago, the accident prompted an immediate search for the responsible driver, culminating in 49-year-old Rosalinda Vaca of Waukegan, who turned herself in to police after realizing her involvement in the fatal collision. Vaca stated to authorities that she was behind the wheel of her black 2016 Land Rover SUV, knew she had hit something, but didn't realize what it was at the time of the incident.
Subsequently, Vaca has been charged with leaving the scene of an accident, a statement confirmed by police and shared by both media outlets. Eyewitness accounts to the police suggested that the driver fled immediately after the collision without lending any aid or waiting for authorities to arrive, a detail that underscores the abrupt and tragic nature of the hit-and-run.
Currently, Vaca is being held before her first court appearance.
