Driver Accused In Deadly Peninsula Hit-and-Run Pleads No Contest

REDWOOD CITY, CA – A San Carlos man pleaded no contest to felony vehicular manslaughter while under the influence of alcohol for fatally striking another San Carlos man with his truck last year, San Mateo County prosecutors said this week.

Randall Rubingh, 52, was driving a Ford F-150 on San Carlos Avenue at about 10:30 p.m. on April 23, 2016, when he swerved across the oncoming lanes and into a bike lane where Christopher Ricci and his wife were walking.

Ricci and his wife had just left a friends' house and were two blocks from home when the collision occurred.

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The Ford struck Ricci and he died at the scene. His wife was not injured.

Rubingh did not stop. A witness gave police some information and officers found him less than 30 minutes later at a Safeway store in Belmont, according to prosecutors.

He was stumbling around in the store and he indicated he had four drinks earlier at the Iron Gate Restaurant, prosecutors said.

Rubingh performed poorly on sobriety tests. He refused to take a chemical test, saying, "I'm going to be in more trouble," prosecutors said.

A search warrant was obtained and a blood sample was taken that showed Rubingh had a blood-alcohol level of 0.13.

Rubingh, who has no prior convictions, pleaded no contest to the manslaughter charge as well as hit-and-run and could spend five years in prison.

He is in jail on $275,000 bail and is scheduled to return to court on July 27 for sentencing, prosecutors said.
His attorney Josh Bentley was not immediately available for comment.

– By Bay City News Service / Patch file photo by Renee Schiavone