Pregnant mother, 22, fatally struck by car in Chicago

Diane Pathieu Image
Friday, March 13, 2015
Police question driver in deadly accident in Englewood
Surveillance video from a store in Englewood shows the victim, 22, crossing the street moments before she was fatally struck.

CHICAGO -- Police are questioning the driver involved in a deadly accident on Chicago's South Side. Jazzalyn Fontanez, who was five months pregnant, was crossing the street when she was struck and killed.

Surveillance video from a nearby business shows the 22-year-old heading to a laundromat she frequented near West 61st and South Halsted streets in the city's Englewood neighborhood around 1:45 p.m. Thursday.

Although police said she was not in the crosswalk when she was struck, the video shows she was in the crosswalk at the time of impact. She was dragged at least two blocks before falling off the car.

The video shows the 69-year-old driver kept going as people rushed to help the victim. He eventually stopped near West 53rd Street and South Union Avenue, where he was taken into custody. The driver told police he knew he hit the victim, but didn't stop right away because he didn't feel safe in the area.

Fontanez was taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition. The Cook County Medical Examiner's office said Fontanez, of the 1700-block of North Campbell Avenue, was pronounced dead just before 7 p.m. Thursday.

Family members said the young mother leaves behind a 5-year-old daughter.

"Sad. It's just unbelievable that someone can hit someone and not stop for half a mile down the street not realizing that he just hit someone. And the girl was pregnant. I lost my niece and my great niece at the same time," said Angel Velez, the victim's uncle.

The driver is cooperating with police. No charges have been filed.

Jazzalyn Fontanez, 22.