Paul Pelosi, the 86-year-old husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, is facing a misdemeanor hit-and-run charge after authorities say he struck a parked car in Napa County, California, on Friday and drove away before his own vehicle became disabled. The incident occurred in Yountville, a town just over an hour north of San Francisco, according to the Napa County Sheriff's Office.
A witness reported seeing a brown convertible hit an unoccupied parked vehicle and continue driving north. Deputies later found the damaged convertible partially blocking a nearby roadway and identified the driver as Paul Pelosi. During the investigation, Pelosi allegedly told deputies he knew he had hit something but did not know what it was, the sheriff's office said. He continued driving until his vehicle became disabled.
Authorities confirmed that alcohol was not a factor in the crash. The sheriff's office stated that a preliminary alcohol screening device detected no alcohol in Pelosi's system, ruling out driving under the influence. Investigators determined Pelosi was responsible for the collision. He was not arrested at the scene, which the sheriff's office said is standard for this type of misdemeanor offense. Instead, deputies will refer the case to the Napa County District Attorney's Office for review and possible prosecution.
The sheriff's office also announced it will submit a driver re-evaluation referral to the California Department of Motor Vehicles, a common practice for elderly drivers. This incident comes more than two years after Pelosi pleaded guilty to misdemeanor drunken driving causing injury stemming from a May 2022 crash in Napa County. In that case, he was sentenced to three years of probation, five days in jail—most of which was satisfied through custody credits and a work program—a three-month DUI education program, installation of an ignition interlock device for one year, and fines and restitution to the injured driver.
Unlike the 2022 incident, investigators said DUI was ruled out in Friday's crash. Pelosi has remained in the public eye since the October 2022 hammer attack inside the San Francisco home he shares with the former House speaker. David DePape, who broke into the Pelosi residence seeking Nancy Pelosi before attacking Paul Pelosi with a hammer, was sentenced in October 2024 to life in prison on state charges after previously receiving a 30-year federal prison sentence. The attack left Paul Pelosi with a skull fracture and other serious injuries.
Nancy Pelosi has represented California's 11th congressional district in San Francisco for decades. Pelosi's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the latest incident. The Napa County District Attorney's Office will now determine whether to formally file charges against Paul Pelosi for the hit-and-run.