Paul Pelosi, the husband of former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, is facing charges of fleeing the scene of an accident after he crashed his convertible into a parked car in Napa County and then drove away.
A press release from the Napa County Sheriff's Office stated that sheriff's deputies responded to a report of a hit-and-run accident in the area of 6700 Younet Street in Younetville, on July 3, at approximately 2:30 p.m.
An eyewitness who called the emergency service (911) said he saw a northbound car crash into the rear of a parked car on the side of the road, causing significant damage. The impact also pushed the right tire of the parked car onto the curb.
The witness added that the car stopped briefly before leaving the scene of the accident.
After police tracked Pelosi down, the 86-year-old admitted to hitting something, but said he didn't know what it was. He explained that he continued driving until his car broke down due to the damage from the crash and stopped working.
Police found Pelosi inside his brown convertible, which was partially blocking traffic on Yountville Cross Road, and which appeared to have significant damage to its front right side.
Police confirmed that alcohol was not the cause of the accident, as Pelosi underwent a preliminary blood alcohol test, and the result showed 0.00%, which completely ruled out the possibility of driving under the influence of alcohol.
Police did not arrest Pelosi, explaining that this is standard procedure in such cases and is consistent with the arrest laws for misdemeanors set out in Section 853.6 of the California Penal Code.
The file was referred to the Napa County District Attorney's Office for formal review, and Pelosi will also be referred to the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) for a reassessment of his fitness to drive, a common procedure with older drivers.
A spokesperson for the Napa County Sheriff's Office told The California Post that authorities recommended a misdemeanor charge of fleeing the scene of an accident that caused property damage without injuries, according to Section 20002 of the California Motor Vehicle Code.
