Police say they have arrested the driver accused of fatally striking a Mundelein woman and her unborn baby in a hit-and-run crash Sunday night. Authorities identified the victim as 36-year-old Michelle Heidbrick.
An autopsy performed Monday determined she died from blunt force injuries sustained in the collision, according to Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek. The crash happened around 9:34 p.m. near Grand Avenue and Jackson Street. Waukegan police and fire crews responded to the scene after reports of a pedestrian being struck by a vehicle.
Deputy Police Chief Craig Neal said officers arrived to find Heidbrick lying unresponsive in the westbound lane of Grand Avenue. Paramedics immediately performed lifesaving measures and transported her to Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan, where she was pronounced dead in the emergency room. Her unborn baby also died.
Neal said the driver fled the scene before officers arrived. A witness reported that Heidbrick was crossing Grand Avenue southbound when she was struck by a vehicle that continued without stopping, per the local CW affiliate WGN.
The Lake County Coroner’s Office responded to the hospital later that evening and took custody of Heidbrick. Investigators shut down Grand Avenue for several hours Sunday night while processing the scene.
By Tuesday, police identified the driver as 49-year-old Rosalinda Vaca of Waukegan. Investigators say Vaca admitted she was behind the wheel of a black 2016 Land Rover SUV at the time of the crash.
According to Neal, Vaca told detectives she struck something in the roadway but did not realize it was a person until learning later that a pedestrian had been fatally hit in the same area. She surrendered to police and was charged with leaving the scene of a crash involving death, a Class 1 felony.
Vaca is being held pending a First Appearance Court hearing. Police confirmed her vehicle has been seized as part of the ongoing investigation. Family members described Heidbrick as a caring mother and sister.
Her sibling, Nicole Heidbrick, told Lake and McHenry County Scanner that Michelle was 22 weeks pregnant with a boy at the time of her death.
“She loved to joke around a lot. She was always making people laugh. Michelle was looking forward to starting the next chapter in her life,” her sister said. Nicole added that Michelle leaves behind an 18-year-old son, along with seven nieces and a nephew.
The family has launched a GoFundMe campaign to assist with funeral expenses.