Paul Pelosi, the 86-year-old husband of former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, is the subject of a recommended misdemeanor charge for fleeing the scene of an accident after his vehicle struck a parked car in Yountville, California.
According to the Napa County Sheriff’s Office, a witness reported seeing a brown convertible traveling northbound on Yount Street strike the rear of a legally parked, unoccupied vehicle on Friday, July 3.
The witness stated that the driver of the convertible briefly stopped before continuing to drive away. The parked vehicle sustained significant rear damage, including scattered pieces on the ground, scratch marks, a large dent, and a tear.
Deputies later located a brown convertible with significant damage to the front right side, which was partially blocking Yountville Cross Road. The driver was identified as Paul Pelosi.
His vehicle’s damage was consistent with the impact to the parked car. Investigators determined that Pelosi had continued driving after the collision until his vehicle became disabled and could no longer operate.
Pelosi told investigators that he hit something but did not know what it was, so he kept driving until his car became disabled. No injuries were reported in connection with the collision.
A preliminary alcohol screening detected no alcohol in Pelosi’s system, registering .00 on the device. Officials stated that driving under the influence was not suspected, and testing for drugs or alcohol ruled out impairment as a factor.
Pelosi was not arrested at the scene. The Napa County Sheriff’s Office indicated that this approach is common in misdemeanor cases without injury.
The office recommended a misdemeanor charge for fleeing the scene of an accident and stated that it would refer the case to the Napa County District Attorney’s Office for review.
As of Sunday, the District Attorney’s Office confirmed it was aware of the July 3 incident but noted that the case had not yet been referred for formal review. The office stated it would evaluate any submitted case based on the facts, available evidence, and applicable law.
A California Department of Motor Vehicles re-evaluation referral form is being submitted due to Pelosi’s status as an elderly driver. Officials described this process as common for drivers in that age group.
“Mr. Paul Pelosi has personally apologized to the owner of the vehicle and assured them that he would take responsibility for the damage to their vehicle. Speaker Pelosi will not be commenting further on this private matter,” a Pelosi family spokesman said in a statement.
This incident is separate from a 2022 event in Napa County in which Paul Pelosi pleaded guilty to misdemeanor driving under the influence charges. In that case, he was sentenced to five days in jail and three years of probation. He served two days in jail with good conduct credit applied to two additional days, resulting in one day to be served in a work program.
Probation conditions included attending a three-month drinking driver class, installing an ignition interlock device, paying approximately $5,000 in victim restitution for medical bills and lost wages, and nearly $2,000 in fines.
