Paul Pelosi’s troubling driving history seems to have finally caught up with him, and he may be facing serious prison time if convicted.
The 86-year-old spouse of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been charged in connection with a hit-and-run incident that took place over the Fourth of July weekend in Northern California’s wine country.
Napa County District Attorney Alison Haley announced on Friday that Pelosi faces charges including a misdemeanor count of hit-and-run driving, along with one count of unlawful conversion, various news outlets have reported.
If someone leaves the scene of an accident that only caused property damage, they could be punished with up to six months in county jail and a fine that could reach $1,000.
The San Francisco-based venture capitalist, who has been married to the former House speaker for over 60 years, was previously arrested for drunk driving following another crash in Napa County in May 2022. He ended up pleading guilty, serving just two days in jail instead of five, and was put on three years’ probation.
In the recent incident, police ruled out drunk driving since tests showed his blood alcohol level was zero.
Over the past five years, these charges are only a few among many, including a tragic car accident that claimed the life of Pelosi’s 19-year-old brother when he was just 16.
Before the July 3 event, authorities had cited Pelosi for at least eight driving violations in the previous 13 years, which included speeding and running multiple red lights, according to court records.
During the most recent crash, he crashed his brown Maserati convertible into a parked Tesla in Yountville, briefly paused, and then took off, as witnesses described. A bystander called 911.
It turns out, he didn’t get far—his damaged Maserati was rendered undriveable.
Police later found Pelosi in a vehicle that was blocking part of a driveway on Yountville Crossroads Road, with significant damage to the passenger side.
Reportedly, he told law enforcement he thought he had hit something but wasn’t sure what it was.
Pelosi also completed an alcohol screening test with no issues.
A spokesperson for Representative Nancy Pelosi stated that her husband personally apologized to the Tesla’s owner and promised to take care of any damages. The spokesperson added that Speaker Pelosi would not be commenting further on this personal matter.
Even at his age, Pelosi seems to be quite the sports car enthusiast. During the 2022 DUI case, he was driving a black 2021 Porsche 911 after dinner with a long-time donor, about six miles from their Napa Valley home.
In that incident, Pelosi was crossing State Route 29 when a Jeep collided with his car. His blood alcohol level then was noted at 0.082 percent, leading him to plead guilty to a misdemeanor for DUI causing injury.
He was sentenced to five days in jail, required to pay $6,800 in fines and restitution, and ordered to complete a DUI program along with three years’ probation.
Pelosi’s first car accident was a heart-wrenching incident. Back in 1957, when he was just 16, he and his 19-year-old brother David took a morning drive in the family’s Corvette sports car near San Mateo, according to records from that time. David urged Paul to drive slowly as they approached a tight curve; he then reportedly said, “This is terrible. I better slow down.” Tragically, Paul lost control of the vehicle, which rolled over and killed his brother.
David was said to have been wearing a neck brace from a prior diving accident, which might have contributed to his death. Although Paul was charged with a misdemeanor count of manslaughter, he was later acquitted by a coroner’s jury.
