Police have identified the woman killed in a suspected hit and run incident near Wanatah. The LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office believes Shawn Ellyn Rybicki, 46, was struck and killed Wednesday afternoon on U.S. 421.
She was found lying in a ditch on the east side of the highway just north of U.S. 30 around 2:15 p.m. Following an autopsy Thursday morning, the LaPorte County coroner has ruled the cause of death as blunt force trauma to the head.
Investigators were able to identify the victim after speaking with witnesses and working with detectives from the Valparaiso Police Department. However, they have not yet able to locate family members, as of Thursday morning. Officers say Rybicki had no known address, but they believe she stayed at various locations in Porter County.
The LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office asks anyone who may know Rybicki or one of her family members to contact detectives at 219-326-7700. Investigators also wish to speak with potential witnesses who may have seen the incident or noticed any suspicious activity near the intersection of U.S. 421 and U.S. 30 Wednesday between noon and 2:15 p.m.
The incident remains under investigation.
