Pregnant Woman Killed By Hit-And-Run Driver In Englewood
Updated 03/13/15 - 11:08 a.m.
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A driver was in police custody Friday morning, after a pregnant mother was killed in a hit-and-run in the Englewood neighborhood.
Jazzalyn Fontanez, 22, was struck by a vehicle around 1:45 p.m. Thursday in the 6000 block of South Halsted Street.
She was crossing Halsted, carrying a load of dirty clothes to Fletcher Laundry down the street, when a fast-moving car struck her in the crosswalk.
Surveillance video shows Fontanez nearly made it across Halsted before she was struck. From a different angle, it showed Fontanez landed at least half a block away. Several witnesses ran to her aid.
She was taken to John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County, where she was pronounced dead a few hours later.
The car never stopped until police pulled it over about a mile away in the 5300 block of South Union Avenue, and took the driver into custody.
A cousin said Fontanez was 5 months pregnant, and recently learned the baby was a girl. She already was a mother to a 5-year-old girl, who had not yet been told what happened.
Police were reviewing surveillance video to reconstruct the crash. Detectives have not yet determined if the driver had the green light.
Witnesses said it appeared he was speeding, and Fontanez might have been listening to music at the time.
"That's like the toughest thing ever. You took a loved one from us, for your carelessness," her cousin, Miguel DeValle, said. "My cousin had these beautiful angel eyes, hazel. When you'd look at her, she'd just make you smile for no reason."
Workers at the laundromat said Fontanez was a regular customer.
Police said charges against the driver were pending Friday morning.
