Paul Pelosi, the husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, is reportedly facing a misdemeanor hit-and-run charge after authorities say he crashed his brown Maserati convertible into a legally parked vehicle before leaving the scene in Napa Valley.
The incident occurred around 2:30 p.m. Friday in the town of Yountville, according to a press release from the Napa Valley Sheriff’s Office shared with Mediaite.
Authorities said a witness observed the 86-year-old Pelosi strike an unoccupied vehicle that was legally parked, causing major rear-end damage. The impact also pushed the parked car onto the curb, according to the report.
The witness told investigators that Pelosi briefly stopped following the collision but then drove away. The witness directed responding officers toward the route Pelosi had taken, allowing authorities to begin searching for the vehicle.
According to KRCA 3, the California Highway Patrol later located Pelosi’s Maserati parked along the side of the road. Officials reported the vehicle had sustained significant damage to its right front end, which was consistent with the reported collision.
Investigators said Pelosi acknowledged that he had struck something while driving but told officers he was unaware of exactly what he had hit.
According to the police report, Pelosi told authorities “he did not know what he had hit, so he kept driving.” Officers said he continued traveling until his vehicle became disabled and was no longer operating properly.
Law enforcement also conducted a preliminary alcohol screening, which showed Pelosi had a blood alcohol level of 0.00, according to Napa authorities.
Pelosi has since been charged with misdemeanor hit-and-run.
The police report noted that a California Department of Motor Vehicles re-evaluation referral form will be submitted, describing the referral as a common procedure for elderly drivers.
Officials also explained why Pelosi was not taken into custody following the incident.
“Also, Pelosi was not arrested, which is common for this type of offense, in accordance with misdemeanor arrest laws,” the report stated.
The Napa County Sheriff’s Office said it will forward the case to the Napa County District Attorney’s Office for review and possible prosecution.
A representative for Nancy Pelosi told The California Post that Paul Pelosi personally contacted the owner of the damaged vehicle following the incident.
According to the representative, Pelosi “personally apologized to the owner of the vehicle and assured them that he would take responsibility for the damage to their vehicle.”
Nancy Pelosi announced her retirement in November, bringing to a close a political career that began in 1987 and spanned nearly four decades. Her current term is scheduled to conclude in January. She previously stepped down as speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives in 2022.
Paul Pelosi previously made national headlines after he was violently attacked inside the couple’s San Francisco home in October 2022.
The assault left him critically injured after authorities said an intruder broke into the residence and struck him in the head with a hammer, fracturing his skull.
David DePape, a Richmond, California, man, was later convicted in connection with the attack and sentenced to 30 years in federal prison.
