Jerry Jackson dies in fatal Waukegan hit-and-run crash

Jerry Jackson dies in fatal Waukegan hit-and-run crash

Fatal Waukegan hit-and-run crash death of Jerry Jackson – Obituary

The Lake County Coroner’s Office has identified the man killed in a hit-and-run incident last Friday evening in Waukegan as 54-year-old Jerry Jackson of Waukegan. An autopsy conducted Monday revealed that Jackson succumbed to blunt force trauma sustained in a vehicle collision.

First responders from Waukegan Police and Fire Departments were dispatched around 8:05 p.m. to Lewis Avenue near Harding Avenue after a passerby reported finding an unresponsive man. Authorities arrived to find Jackson seriously injured in the road and immediately began CPR until paramedics transported him to Vista Medical Center East, where he was pronounced dead.

The Lake County Major Crash Assistance Team (MCAT) launched an investigation at the scene. Surveillance footage retrieved from a nearby business showed Jackson crossing Lewis Avenue when he was struck by a vehicle heading northbound.

The driver involved, identified as 33-year-old Rosario Fernandez of Waukegan, allegedly fled the scene in her gray 2020 Hyundai Accent. She later called police at 8:59 p.m., nearly an hour after the crash, stating she had hit someone but did not stop because her five-year-old child was in the car and she was frightened.

Officers located her vehicle bearing visible damage, including a hood dent, a shattered windshield, and fabric embedded in the grill. A license plate reader had captured the car on Lewis Avenue shortly after the incident.

Fernandez admitted to consuming alcohol before driving and displayed signs of intoxication during field sobriety tests. Though a warrant was issued for a blood sample, no DUI charges were filed. She now faces felony charges for failing to report a fatal crash and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death.

During her Monday court appearance, Fernandez’s attorney noted she is a long-time resident and single mother with no serious criminal history. Despite the prosecution’s request to detain her, Judge Michael Nerheim denied it, citing Illinois’ SAFE-T Act guidelines, but placed her under strict pretrial supervision, including a driving ban, curfew, random testing, and substance restrictions.

Fernandez is due back in court on May 27 for a preliminary hearing.