Paul Pelosi charged with hit-and-run in California
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Paul Pelosi, husband of former U.S. House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi, was charged Friday in connection with a hit-and-run crash that occurred earlier this month, according to authorities.
Pelosi, 86, of St. Helena, was charged with a misdemeanor hit-and-run. He was additionally charged with the infraction of making an unlawful turn, according to Napa County Dist. Atty. Allison Haley.
The charge stems from a July 3 crash in the 6700 block of Yount Street in Yountville. The Napa County Sheriff’s Office alleged that Pelosi crashed his brown Maserati GranCabrio into an unoccupied parked vehicle and left the scene of the crash without providing information as required by law.
A witness, who reported the crash to law enforcement, alleged Pelosi was driving north at the time of the crash and “briefly stopped then drove away,” according to the sheriff’s office. The parked car sustained “major rear damage,” and its front tire was “forced onto the curb.”
It’s not the first time Pelosi has had a run-in with authorities. In 2022, he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of driving under the influence in Napa County. He was sentenced to five days in jail and three years of probation.
As part of his probation, Pelosi was required not to operate a vehicle without an ignition interlock device, which requires drivers to provide a breath sample to prove sobriety before the engine will start. He was further required to enroll in a DUI program for three months and pay about $5,000 in restitution to the victim.
That same year, Pelosi was attacked and severely beaten with a hammer at the couple’s San Francisco home.
In announcing Friday’s criminal charges against Pelosi, Haley included answers to frequently asked questions such as why Pelosi was not charged with a DUI and why he was still allowed to drive.
“The district attorney’s office has an ethical obligation to file only those charges that can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt based on the available evidence,” the news release read. “No evidence indicating that the defendant was driving under the influence was presented to our office.”
Haley said prosecutors may ask the the DMV to “re-evaluate” Pelosi’s ability to operate a motor vehicle. It said it could only request the court to prohibit Pelosi from driving as a condition of his probation.
“The maximum term of probation in California for hit-and-run is one year,” Haley wrote in the news release.
Pelosi is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 13.
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