Paul Pelosi, the husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, is under investigation after allegedly striking a parked vehicle and leaving the scene of the crash on Friday afternoon in Northern California, according to the Napa County Sheriff’s Office.
According to the Napa County Sheriff’s Office, Pelosi allegedly crashed into a legally parked, unoccupied vehicle along the 6700 block of Yount Street in Yountville at about 2:30 p.m. local time on Friday, leaving the car with significant rear-end damage. Yountville is located roughly 50 miles north of San Francisco.
Authorities said a witness reported that the driver briefly pulled over after the collision before driving away. According to the Napa County Sheriff’s Office, the vehicle involved was described as a brown convertible.
The sheriff’s office said deputies later located the suspected vehicle partially obstructing Yountville Cross Road, where a California Highway Patrol car had already stopped behind it.
Deputies identified the driver as 86-year-old Paul Pelosi and observed extensive damage to the front-right side of his vehicle, according to the sheriff’s office.
Authorities said Pelosi admitted that he had struck something but claimed he was unaware of what he had hit, prompting him to continue driving. He reportedly told deputies that he only stopped after his vehicle became disabled.
Deputies said their investigation found no evidence that alcohol played a role in the incident. They added that Paul Pelosi was not taken into custody, citing California’s laws governing arrests for misdemeanour offences.
“A California DMV re-evaluation referral form will be submitted to DMV, which is common for elderly drivers,” the sheriff’s office said.
The sheriff’s office said the case has been submitted to the Napa County District Attorney’s Office for review.
In a statement provided to CBS News, a spokesperson for the Pelosi family said: “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.”
Paul Pelosi previously made headlines in October 2022 after he was attacked during a politically motivated break-in at the couple’s residence in San Francisco.
