Salinas, CA (February 13, 2024) An Uber driver was taking his passenger to their destination on Sunday night, when his life was tragically taken. Jorge Vasquez Topete a 53-year-old Salinas resident, was killed in a violent hit-and-run crash on February 11th, authorities said.
Topete had picked up his passenger and was heading to the man’s destination, just as he had done so many times before, when another vehicle slammed into Topete’s car just before midnight. The driver was speeding at the time of the crash. Reports indicate that he ran a red light right before hitting Topete’s car. He then jumped out of his car and fled on foot, leaving Topete and his passenger alone and injured near the intersection of Freedom Parkway and North Sanborn Road.
When the Salinas Police Department arrived at the scene, they found two seriously damaged vehicles. One of the vehicles was sitting on the median near a street light and a bumper and several other car parts were strewn about the road in all directions.
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Emergency medical personnel rushed to give aid to anyone in need. Unfortunately, they discovered that Topete had been fatally injured in the crash and pronounced him dead at the scene. The passenger, who officers learned was receiving a ride in Topete’s car using an Uber rideshare app, sustained critical injuries in the collision. He was transported to a local hospital to receive treatment, according to officers.
Officers were able to locate the suspect, who was identified as 27-year-old Juan Manuel Gonzalez. He was arrested and faces charges of felony hit-and-run driving without a license, vehicular manslaughter, vandalism and violation of probation. He was booked into the Monterey County Jail with a $57,900 bail, police officers reported.
Topete’s son shared on social media that his father had told him to be careful on Sunday night because the Super Bowl would lead to drunk drivers. A GoFundMe page has been created to help Topete’s family with funeral expenses and relieve some of that financial burden during this time of loss.
