State Auditor Beth Wood says she was 'shaken' and regrets leaving scene of post-gathering crash

Wood was at a holiday gathering before the December crash that led to a hit-and-run charge. In her first public statement about the incident, she claimed responsibility and called the wreck accidental.

Posted 1:50 p.m. Jan 23, 2023 — Updated 10:08 p.m. Jan 25, 2023

Matt Talhelm

, WRAL reporter

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina State Auditor Beth Wood acknowledged for the first time publicly that she left the scene of a Raleigh crash last month that resulted in a hit-and-run charge. Meanwhile, political opponents called for her resignation.

In a statement Monday, Wood described the Dec. 8 crash as accidental, noted that she spent about two hours at a holiday gathering before the incident, and said she accepted “personal responsibility.”

“After I left [the gathering], I made a sharp right turn and inadvertently hit a parked car,” she said. “I was shaken by the incident and, when I was unable to move my vehicle, I left the scene. That was a serious mistake and I regret my decision.”

WRAL News has asked if Wood was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash but hasn't received a response.

The comments in the statement were Wood’s first since news broke last week of the downtown Raleigh crash and as recordings of emergency dispatchers, photos and police reports started to illustrate details of the incident. The statement, issued by a spokeswoman, followed calls last week by some state officials for her to be more open about the case after days of silence.

Wood, a Democrat, is in her fourth term as state auditor, having served since 2009. Her office acts as a watchdog, examining financial affairs and regulatory processes of state government agencies. It also monitors other parts of state government, including computer systems, and it produces special studies requested by the state legislature, among other duties.

Hours after her statement was released, the state Republican Party called on Wood to resign, despite her having some support from some Republican state officials last week.

"While the car accident may have been a mistake, the decision to sneak away from the scene was intentional and wholly unbecoming of an elected official," the state GOP said Monday on Twitter. "North Carolina deserves better from their State Auditor. Beth Wood should resign."

Wood said she planned to stay in her role, tamping down questions from political pundits about the possible fallout. “I am committed to continuing to perform my duties with the same energy and determination I am known for,” Wood said in the Monday statement.

Labor Commissioner Josh Dobson, a Republican, said in a statement on Friday: “Our society is quick to judge and slow to forgive,” Dobson, a Republican, said in a statement. “Auditor Wood is a committed public servant and has worked hard for the citizens of North Carolina.”

Gov. Roy Cooper's office added on Monday: "This was a troubling incident and the Governor is glad that the Auditor has addressed it publicly. The Governor has not communicated with her about it. There’s an investigation and court proceeding going on and he believes it’s appropriate for that to proceed."

Wood drove a state-issued vehicle into a parked car and "overrode up onto the hood" of the car on Dec. 8 about 8:30 p.m., according to police and state insurance reports. It happened about a block from her office.

The car Wood was driving, a 2021 Toyota sedan, was left with the engine running, according to a police report. "The driver of the vehicle appeared to have fled the scene," the report said. Both vehicles were towed by wreckers.

Wood was charged Dec. 12 by Raleigh Police with misdemeanor hit and run resulting in property damage. Wood was also cited with an unsafe movement infraction. Nobody was injured in the crash, police said. There were no witnesses of the crash itself, but there was surveillance video, according to police.

Wood is scheduled to appear in administrative court on Thursday. She said Monday that she is cooperating with police. Wood had previously declined to comment. She referred questions to her lawyer, Roger Smith Jr., who didn’t respond to requests for comment last week.

Lane Rosen, a spokesperson for the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor, submitted his letter of resignation on Friday, effective at the close of business on Monday, according to Neal McHenry, assistant general counsel in the state auditor’s office. Rosen didn’t immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

“Come with me to quit my state government job working as a communications specialist for an elected official who just got charged with a misdemeanor hit-and-run,” Rosen told viewers in a video posted Saturday on the TikTok social media platform. In the video, Rosen doesn’t explain his choice to resign but said he planned to hike the Appalachian Trail.

Photos of the crash aftermath, obtained by WRAL last week, show a dark sedan partially atop a parked white car near the intersection of Hargett and Salisbury streets. The images detail front-end damage to the vehicles and offer illustrations of the incident aftermath described in police reports and by several people who called emergency dispatchers following the crash.

Photos show aftermath of crash scene NC State Auditor Beth Wood is accused of leaving

Wood said Monday that she notified the state’s motor fleet management group about the crash on Dec. 9, and that she was later cited by police for unsafe movement and for failing to provide her name and other information to the owner of the car or law enforcement.

Wood completed an insurance incident report dated Dec. 12, state records show. In that report, she didn’t acknowledge fault. “I made a sharp sudden turn and struck a parked vehicle,” Wood said in the automotive loss report, which was provided by the state Department of Administration. The report said Wood was using the car for business purposes and that the crash was preventable.

Wood also apologized to the owner of the parked car, Chris Valverde. Valverde told WRAL last week that he didn’t learn the identity of the driver until Jan. 6. He said he spoke with her after that date.

"Mrs. Wood has made her bed and now has to sleep in it," Valverde said in a text message Monday after receiving her statement. "I just hope that the justice system is fair and impartial when handling this case and not use her position as a privilege to skate out of it unscathed.

"What she did is wrong," he added. "Not only the hit-and-run, but the lack of communication with me and the people of NC as well. Her silence speaks volumes of her character and how she handles tough situations, I can only imagine how she handles tough situations when it comes to the duties and responsibilities of being the state auditor."

Political response muted as questions linger on state auditor's car crash

Wood’s Monday statement reads in full:

“On the evening of December 8, 2022, I attended a holiday gathering in downtown Raleigh. I was at the event for approximately two hours. When I left, I made a sharp right turn and inadvertently hit a parked car.

“I was shaken by the incident and, when I was unable to move my vehicle, I left the scene. That was a serious mistake and I regret my decision.

“The next morning, I notified State Motor Fleet Management that I was involved in an accident and subsequently was cited by police for unsafe movement and for failing to provide my name and other information to the owner of the car or a law enforcement officer.

I sincerely regret my actions and will continue to cooperate with law enforcement. I have served the people of North Carolina as their State Auditor since 2009. I made a mistake in judgment on December 8, but I am committed to continuing to perform my duties with the same energy and determination I am known for.

“I apologize to the owner of the car I hit, my staff and all I serve for leaving the scene of the accident. I have learned from this mistake and am fully accepting personal responsibility for my actions."

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