The heartbroken widower of a new mother who was run over and killed after being kicked out of an Uber while celebrating her first night as a mother sobbed as he said goodbye to his wife.
Vanessa Schwartz, 35, was buried Saturday in Virginia and honored by her husband Michael — a week after she was fatally struck while walking along Interstate-495 in Fairfax County.
In a poignant speech at her funeral, Michael asked Vanessa’s loved ones to help him on his journey as a single father to their eight-month-old daughter Luciana.
“The time I need help is not today, I will need it months from now, when Luciana wants me to braid her hair for the first time,” said the father, as he stood a few meters from the open coffin of his late wife.
“I’ll need help years from now when she wants me to tell her stories about her wonderful mother.
“I need help in over a decade when she wants me to buy her a prom dress that Vanessa would be proud of, because now I have one goal in life: to raise my daughters in a way that Vanessa would be proud of and I can’t do this alone.
“I can try to be the best father in the world but I can never be a mother.”
In a poignant speech at Vanessa’s funeral, Michael asked the mother’s loved ones to help him on his journey as a single father to their daughter Luciana.
Vanessa Schwartz, 35, was struck and killed at 4 a.m. Sunday on I-495 in Virginia after her first night out since giving birth to her daughter Lucy eight months ago.
The young mother was described as “a beautiful young woman who lived her life entirely dedicated to her 8-month-old daughter” and her husband Michael (pictured together).
Michael continued: “The last thing I said to Vanessa the night she died, as we were going out, was I grabbed her and I kissed her on the cheek, and I said that she was the most amazing mother in the world. And she said it was because we were a great team.
“Goodbye, my love, my corazón (heart). I will love you and miss you forever.
Vanessa’s devastated family have blamed the Uber driver, who was suspended as part of an investigation by Uber but was not charged because his brother-in-law said it was of an “avoidable situation”.
Unverified Uber receipts showed she was dropped off by her Uber at 1 a.m., hours before she was hit by the cart at 4 a.m. on March 10. The three hour window is not explained.
However, Virginia State Police said there was “no evidence” that she was abandoned on the highway and “it appears she headed toward the highway from a highway secondary”.
Michael also spoke to Vanessa’s parents at her funeral, asking those close to him to help them as well as they mourned their only daughter.
“I need your help, necesito tu ayuda, the two things in the world that mattered most to Vanessa were Luciana and her parents, and now that they have lost their only daughter, we must fill that void.
He added in Spanish: “Please call them and say ‘I love you’ every day.”
Michael then addressed Vanessa’s parents directly, saying in Spanish: “I am your son. You’re not alone. We are family forever.
Investigations into the young mother’s death are still ongoing, with witnesses reportedly telling police that she “stumbled” in traffic, WUSA-9 reports.
The outlet also said a preliminary investigation revealed that the 2005 Honda Accord that struck Schwartz was unable to avoid hitting her.
She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Uber receipts reportedly showed she was dropped off on or very near the highway (as seen on Google Street View)
It’s still unclear why Schwartz was on the highway, as cops said three days after the tragedy that there was “no evidence” that she was abandoned on the road, and “it appears that she headed towards the highway from a side road.”
Although she was fatally struck at 4 a.m., the receipts also showed that the Uber elevator stopped at 1 a.m. The three-hour time difference is not explained
It remains unclear why Schwartz was on the highway, as NBC4 obtained unverified Uber receipts from his family that showed his ride ended either on the highway or very close to it.
Although she was fatally struck at 4 a.m., the receipts also showed that the Uber elevator stopped at 1 a.m. The three-hour time difference is not explained.
Although cops say she may not have been left on the highway, Schwartz’s grieving family blamed the Uber driver for the tragedy.
The driver, who has not been criminally charged, allegedly kicked the couple out of his car and pushed them onto the highway while it was “dark and raining.”
Chad Schwartz, the victim’s brother-in-law, said, “This was an avoidable situation…that’s why it’s so devastating.” This was not necessary.
“We don’t know exactly what happened, but they were kicked out of the Uber in the middle of the highway, while it was raining and dark,” he added.
Uber told DailyMail.com in a statement: “Our hearts are broken for Vanessa’s family and loved ones during this difficult time. We take passenger safety seriously and continue to investigate this incident. We have contacted law enforcement to offer our support in their investigation.
The company has reportedly suspended the driver and removed his access to its app while the investigation continues.
Cops said in an update Wednesday, three days after the death, that “at this time there is no evidence indicating she was dropped off or abandoned along I-495.” .
“Instead, it appears she headed toward the highway from a side road.”