Paul Pelosi, the husband of former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, is facing a recommended misdemeanor hit-and-run charge following a vehicle collision in Napa County, California, according to local law enforcement.

The incident reportedly occurred on the afternoon of July 3 in Yountville, a town in California’s Napa Valley. Sheriff’s deputies responded after receiving a 911 call from a witness who reported seeing a convertible strike the rear of a parked vehicle before leaving the scene.

Authorities said the collision caused significant damage to the parked car and pushed one of its tires onto the curb. The witness told dispatchers that the driver briefly stopped before continuing northbound.

Deputies later located Paul Pelosi, 86, in his damaged convertible on Yountville Cross Road. According to the Napa County Sheriff’s Office, the vehicle had extensive front-end damage and was partially blocking the roadway after becoming disabled.

Investigators said Pelosi acknowledged that he had hit something while driving but told officers he did not realize exactly what his vehicle had struck. He continued driving until the car could no longer operate.

Law enforcement officials determined that alcohol was not a factor in the incident. Pelosi submitted to a preliminary alcohol screening test, which reportedly showed a blood alcohol concentration of 0.00 percent. As a result, investigators ruled out driving under the influence.

Instead, the sheriff’s office is recommending that the Napa County District Attorney review the case for a misdemeanor property-damage hit-and-run charge under California Vehicle Code Section 20002, which applies when a driver leaves the scene of a collision involving property damage without fulfilling the legal requirements to stop and exchange information.

Authorities did not arrest Pelosi at the scene, explaining that this is common practice for certain misdemeanor offenses under California law when an immediate custodial arrest is not required. The case has now been forwarded to prosecutors for review.

In addition, officials said they plan to submit a driver’s re-evaluation referral to the California Department of Motor Vehicles. Such referrals can be made in a variety of situations, including incidents involving older drivers, although they do not automatically result in the suspension or revocation of a driver’s license.

A spokesperson for the Pelosi family said Paul Pelosi has personally apologized to the owner of the damaged vehicle and has assured them that he will take responsibility for repairing the damage. The spokesperson added that Nancy Pelosi would not comment further, describing the matter as private.

The incident has drawn renewed attention because of Pelosi’s previous legal and personal challenges. In 2022, he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor DUI charge following a separate traffic collision in Napa County that resulted in injuries. Later that same year, he survived a violent attack at his San Francisco home after an intruder broke in looking for Nancy Pelosi, leaving him with serious injuries that required medical treatment.

The latest case, however, is unrelated to either of those incidents. Prosecutors will now determine whether to formally file the recommended misdemeanor hit-and-run charge based on the evidence gathered during the investigation.

As of now, no injuries have been reported in connection with the July 3 collision, and the matter remains under review by the Napa County District Attorney’s Office.

Source: Compiled from various sources