Waukegan hit-and-run crash leaves pregnant woman dead, 1 arrested, police say

Waukegan hit-and-run crash leaves pregnant woman dead, 1 arrested, police say

A pregnant woman and her unborn child were killed in a hit-and-run crash on Sunday in suburban Waukegan.

WAUKEGAN, Ill. - A pregnant woman and her unborn child were killed in a hit-and-run crash on Sunday in suburban Waukegan.

The suspected driver in the crash turned herself in to police on Tuesday, according to the Waukegan Police Department.

What we know:

Police were called to the scene in the 1100 block of Grand Avenue around 9:35 p.m. on Sunday.

Officers found the female victim lying unresponsive in the westbound lanes of the street. First responders later learned she was pregnant.

The car involved had left the scene prior to the officers’ arrival.

Officers performed CPR on the woman until paramedics arrived. She was taken to Vista East Hospital but later died.

The Lake County Coroner's Office identified the victim as Michelle Heidbrick, 36. An autopsy revealed Heidbrick died from blunt force injuries as a result of the crash.

A pregnant woman and her unborn child were killed in a hit-and-run crash on Sunday in suburban Waukegan. (GoFundMe)

A witness told investigators that the victim was crossing Grand Avenue southbound when she was hit by the car. The car fled the scene without stopping.

On Tuesday, police identified the suspect as Rosalinda Vaca, a 49-year-old Waukegan resident.

Rosalinda Vaca (Waukegan Police Department)

Vaca learned there was a report of a woman who had been hit and killed in an accident and later surrendered to police. She told police she was driving a black 2016 Land Rover SUV at the time of the crash, struck something in the roadway but didn’t realize what it was.

Vaca was charged with felony leaving the scene of an accident.