A Mundelein woman who was fatally struck by a hit-and-run vehicle in Waukegan on Sunday was 22 weeks pregnant and the mother of a teenager. Her unborn baby also did not survive.
An autopsy performed Monday showed that Michelle Heidbrick, 36, of Mundelein, died as a result of blunt force injuries as a result of a vehicle crash, according to Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek.
The Waukegan Police Department and Waukegan Fire Department responded around 9:34 p.m. Sunday to the area of Grand Avenue and Jackson Street for a report of a vehicle crash with injuries.
Emergency crews arrived and found a pedestrian, later identified as Heidbrick, who had been hit by a vehicle.
Lifesaving measures were performed by paramedics on the critically injured woman, who was crossing the street in front of the BP gas station.
An ambulance transported Heidbrick to Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan where she was pronounced dead in the emergency room.
Waukegan Deputy Police Chief Craig Neal said the vehicle involved fled the scene before officers arrived.
The vehicle and driver involved had not been located as of Monday morning, Neal said.
The Lake County Coroner’s Office responded to the hospital around 11 p.m. and took possession of Heidbrick.
Grand Avenue was completely shut down late Sunday evening as investigators worked at the scene, which was cordoned off by crime scene tape.
The victim’s sister, Nicole Heidbrick, told Lake and McHenry County Scanner that Michelle Heidbrick was 22 weeks pregnant at the time of her death.
Doctors were unable to save her unborn baby boy either.
Her sister said that Michelle was the mother of an 18-year-old son and had seven nieces and a nephew.
“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,” Nicole Heidbrick said.
Nicole Heidbrick said investigators told her that there was a possible vehicle of interest but no updates have been provided to the family since.
The family created a GoFundMe account to help raise money for the funeral expenses.
The crash is being investigated by the Waukegan Police Department Major Crash Unit.