Pregnant mom crossing street killed in hit-and-run: Cops
Share this @internewscast.com

Left inset: Rosalinda Vaca (Waukegan Police Department). Right inset: Michelle Heidbrick (GoFundMe). Background: The intersection of Grand Avenue and Jackson Street in Waukegan, Ill., where Rosalinda Vaca allegedly killed Michelle Heidbrick in a hit-and-run crash on Sunday night, Sept. 21, 2025 (WGN/YouTube).

A pregnant Illinois mother crossing the street with her fiancé was struck and killed by a woman in a Land Rover, who claimed to police she was unaware of what she had hit, according to local investigators.

It wasn”t until after the woman allegedly saw reports about the victim’s death that she realized it was a person, cops say.

“All I heard was a smack,” recounted Charlie Walkanoff, fiance of victim Michelle Heidbrick, in an emotional interview with local CW affiliate WGN.

“Next thing I knew, she’s rolling down the street,” Walkanoff said, crying. “They hit my baby so hard. I was trying to yell to get people to call 911, and someone stopped, and they did.”

Rosalinda Vaca, 49, is charged with leaving the scene of an accident involving death, a felony, following the Sunday night hit-and-run incident in Waukegan, according to online court records. Her black 2016 Land Rover SUV was seized by police and is currently being examined as part of the ongoing investigation, as reported by the Lake and McHenry County Scanner. Heidbrick’s unborn baby was also killed.

Police reportedly questioned Vaca about the incident, and she allegedly admitted to knowing she struck something on Sunday night in the area of Grand Avenue and Jackson Street, but claimed she was unaware of what it was.

It wasn’t until after Vaca caught wind of Heidbrick’s death in the same area that she realized what happened, according to police.

“She just turned five months on Sept. 19,” Walkanoff told WGN about the couple’s unborn child.

“My baby didn’t deserve to die that way,” he said.

Vaca reportedly turned herself in to Waukegan police on Tuesday after hearing the news. A witness allegedly identified her and the Land Rover she was driving on Sunday night when she collided with Heidbrick as she was crossing the southbound roadway of Grand Avenue, according to WGN. The witness confirmed that Vaca allegedly did not stop and continued driving.

Heidbrick leaves behind an 18-year-old son who reportedly just started college. Her sister said in a GoFundMe description that Heidbrick was “pronounced dead at the scene from the injuries she sustained.”

Heidbrick’s family told WGN that they are “absolutely heartbroken” by what happened and are awaiting the results of the investigation to see if additional charges will be filed.

Vaca was behind bars Wednesday awaiting her detention hearing.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Authorities Release Fresh Images of Home Invasion Suspects

Police have unveiled fresh CCTV footage today as they intensify their investigation…

Series of Bayou Deaths, Including College Student Case, Deemed Undetermined

Authorities in Texas have recently declared the causes of death for four…

Tragic Incident: Teenager Loses Life in Walmart Parking Lot Stabbing

Share An 18-year-old’s life was tragically cut short following a violent encounter…

Shocking Confession: Husband’s Unthinkable Act Leaves Family in Tragedy

Left inset: Joshua Brown (Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office). Right inset: Shawntae Brown…

Mother Faces Verdict After Baby Tragically Suffocates in Truck

Left inset: Angelica Arechiga (Grand Rapids Police Department). Right inset: Julieta Magdelena…

Breaking: Shocking Charges in the Disappearance of Idaho’s Michael Vaughan – Neighbor Accused of Murder and Kidnapping

Nearly four years after 5-year-old Michael Vaughan vanished, an Idaho man who…

Friday Night Tragedy: Esteemed Doctor and Mother Discovered Fatally Injured; Husband Challenges Death Sentence

Dr. Teresa Sievers, a talented and admired physician, set off on a…

Shocking Revelation: Comatose Crash Survivor Uncovers Girlfriend’s Intentional Sabotage Months Before Tragic Death

Florida prosecutors have escalated charges against a woman accused of deliberately crashing…

Teen Accused of Threatening Uncle with Loaded Firearm

Insets: Kevin Lowery (Shelby County Jail). The gun Lowery allegedly possessed (Memphis…

Shocking Attempted Murder: Man Attacks Girlfriend After Cheating Confrontation

Kelbrez Antrial Stringer (Seventh Circuit Solicitor’s Office). Background: The Spartanburg County Courthouse…

Billions for SNAP: Churches Spotlight Untapped Funds in Trump Administration

President Donald Trump holds an artist rendering of interior of the new…

High-Stakes Trial: Intruder Faces Death Penalty for Shocking Murder of Prominent Lawyer in Her Sleep

The trial for a Kentucky man accused in the murder of a…