Paul Pelosi, the 86-year-old husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), is facing the possibility of misdemeanor charges after being involved in a hit-and-run accident in Northern California on Friday, according to law enforcement reports.
The Napa County Sheriff's Office confirmed that Pelosi was driving a brown convertible in Yountville when he collided with a legally parked vehicle, causing what authorities described as “major” damage. A witness called 911 after observing the crash, and deputies located Pelosi roughly a quarter-mile away with visible damage to the front of his car.
Pelosi told officers he was aware he had struck something but could not recall when or what. No alcohol was detected in his system, and he was not arrested at the scene. The sheriff's office has recommended that prosecutors charge him with fleeing the scene of an accident, a misdemeanor offense.
In a statement released Saturday, a spokesperson for the Pelosi family said Paul Pelosi has “personally apologized to the owner of the vehicle and assured them that he would take responsibility for the damage.” The statement added that Nancy Pelosi would not comment further on what the family described as a private matter.
This is not the first time Paul Pelosi has faced legal trouble related to driving. In August 2022, he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor DUI charges after a late-night crash in Napa County that injured another driver. He was sentenced to five days in jail and three years of probation, but served only two days after receiving credit for good conduct, followed by a day in a courthouse work program.
The latest incident comes against a backdrop of heightened public scrutiny on the Pelosi family. Later in 2022, an intruder broke into the couple's San Francisco home and violently attacked Paul Pelosi with a hammer. The assailant, David DePape, is now serving life in prison without the possibility of parole on state charges.
Nancy Pelosi, who stepped down as House Democratic leader after the 2022 midterms, has maintained a lower public profile in recent months. She is set to teach at a UC Berkeley institute named after her, a role that has drawn both praise and criticism. The incident involving her husband is unlikely to derail those plans but adds another layer of personal and legal complexity for the former speaker.
The Napa County District Attorney's office will decide whether to formally file charges. Under California law, hit-and-run involving property damage is typically a misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months in jail and fines. Given Pelosi's age and lack of prior violent offenses, any sentence would likely be minimal if charges are brought.
This incident also echoes broader concerns about older drivers and road safety. The sheriff's office has referred Pelosi to the California Department of Motor Vehicles for a review of his driving fitness, a standard procedure for elderly drivers involved in accidents.
