Woman charged in fatal hit-and-run crash in Waukegan

The Waukegan Police Department announced they have arrested and charged the hit-and-run driver who struck and killed a Mundelein woman in Waukegan Sunday evening.

The driver involved in the incident has been identified as Rosalinda Vaca, 49, of Waukegan.

Michelle Heidbrick, 36, of Mundelein, was struck in a hit-and-run crash that took place around 9:34 p.m. as she was crossing Grand Avenue near Jackson Street. She died as a result of blunt force injuries suffered in the crash, the Lake County coroner’s office reported.

The driver of the vehicle fled the scene prior to the arrival of Waukegan police, according to the coroner’s office.

On Tuesday, Waukegan Deputy Police Chief Craig Neal said the driver had been identified as Rosalinda Vaca. She told investigators she was driving a black 2016 Land Rover SUV when she struck something in the roadway. She reported she did not know what she hit, later learning that a pedestrian had been fatally struck in the same area, Neal said.

Vaca surrendered to the police and was charged with leaving the scene of a crash involving death, a Class 1 felony. She is being held for a first appearance court hearing.