US Edition'My Baby Didn't Deserve to Die that Way': Fiancé of Pregnant Waukegan Hit-and-Run Victim Seeks Justice
A 49-year-old Waukegan resident was charged with felony leaving the scene after a hit-and-run killed a pregnant woman and her unborn child, police said.
- Michelle Heidbrick, a 36-year-old pregnant woman, was fatally struck by a car on September 21, 2025, in Waukegan while crossing Grand Avenue near Jackson Street.
- The crash occurred around 9:30 p.m. when Rosalinda Vaca, a 49-year-old Waukegan resident, hit Heidbrick with her black 2016 Land Rover SUV and initially fled the scene.
- Police found Heidbrick unresponsive in the westbound lanes and performed CPR before she was transported to Vista East Hospital, where she was pronounced dead alongside her unborn baby at 22 weeks gestation.
- After learning about the fatal collision, Vaca turned herself in to authorities on Tuesday, admitted to hitting something without realizing what it was, and faces felony charges for leaving the scene of the accident.
- The investigation continues with the SUV held by police, while Heidbrick's family mourns her loss and expresses relief that a suspect is in custody yet questions why Vaca did not stop.
16 Articles
16 Articles
'My baby didn't deserve to die that way': Fiancé of pregnant Waukegan hit-and-run victim seeks justice
WAUKEGAN, Ill. (WGN) — More than 48 hours after a 36-year-old woman was struck and killed in a hit-and-run crash in Waukegan, her fiancé says he hadn't lost hope that police would find the person responsible. Tuesday evening, police confirmed that 49-year-old Rosalinda Vaca, of Waukegan, faces a felony charge of leaving the scene of an accident. Charlie Walkanoff received an embrace from a family friend after being interviewed by WGN-TV about on…
Driver charged in pregnant woman’s hit-and-run death: Police - Finger Lakes Daily News
(WAUKEGAN, Ill.) — An Illinois driver was charged in the fatal hit-and-run of a pregnant woman as she crossed the street, according to the Waukegan Police Department. Rosalinda Vaca, a 49-year-old resident of the Chicago satellite city, was arrested on Tuesday and charged with leaving […]
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