Fairfield man booked for alleged vehicular manslaughter

Michael Wilbert, 52

A man was fatally struck by a car after helping to jump start the vehicle in a Fairfield parking lot, Thursday morning. The driver of the vehicle was arrested after trying to flee the scene, police said.

At about 10 a.m., officers responded to a call of a hit-and-run that occurred in the parking lot of a business located on the 4400 block of Central Way.

When they arrived, they found Rudy Gonzales, 70, of Hayward dead with injuries consistent with having been struck by a vehicle, police said.

After a preliminary investigation, police found that Gonzales was driving his car when he saw Michael Wilbert, a 52-year-old Fairfield resident, with his vehicle on the side of the road. While Gonzales was stopped to give Wilbert a jump, Gonzalez was somehow struck by the vehicle. Wilbert did not stop to assist Gonzales or report the incident, police said.

Following a lead to the investigation, police found that a recreational vehicle had fled the scene of the crash. A short time after Wilbert was located at a nearby business and arrested, police said. Wilbert was booked on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter and felony hit-and run charges at Solano County Jail, according to police.

Anyone with a tip or information about this case and its investigation can call Fairfield Police at (707) 428-7300.

Read more:

Mercury News, Good samaritan from Hayward killed in hit-and-run

SF Gate, RV hit-run kills man helping with jump start

CBS, Good samaritan dies after bizarre hit-and-run