YOUNTVILLE, California—Paul Pelosi, the husband of former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, is facing a possible misdemeanor hit-and-run charge after authorities said he struck a legally parked vehicle in Northern California and drove away before his own damaged car became disabled a short distance later.
The collision occurred Friday afternoon on Yount Street in Yountville, according to the Napa County Sheriff's Office. Investigators said a witness reported seeing a brown convertible strike an unoccupied vehicle that was legally parked along the roadside, causing major rear-end damage. The witness told deputies the driver briefly stopped before leaving the scene.
Deputies later located a disabled convertible on nearby Yountville Cross Road and identified the driver as 86-year-old Paul Pelosi through his California driver's license, the sheriff's office said. Authorities said the damage to Pelosi's vehicle was consistent with the earlier collision.
According to the sheriff's office, Pelosi told deputies he knew he had struck something but did not know what it was and continued driving until his vehicle could no longer be operated. Investigators said no alcohol was detected during a preliminary alcohol screening test, ruling out driving under the influence as a factor in the incident. No injuries were reported.
The sheriff's office said the investigation supports a recommendation that Pelosi face a misdemeanor hit-and-run charge. He was not arrested at the scene, which authorities said is common in cases of this type when the offense is investigated after the fact. The case has been referred to the Napa County District Attorney's Office for review and a charging decision.
Because of Pelosi's age, investigators also completed paperwork requesting that the California Department of Motor Vehicles evaluate whether he should continue to hold a driver's license, according to the sheriff's office.
The incident marks Pelosi's latest traffic-related legal matter. In 2022, he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor driving-under-the-influence charge stemming from a separate crash in Napa County. He was sentenced to probation and other court-ordered penalties. Later that year, Pelosi suffered serious injuries after an intruder attacked him with a hammer during a break-in at the couple's San Francisco home.
As of Sunday, prosecutors had not announced whether formal charges would be filed, and the district attorney's review of the sheriff's recommendation remained pending.
