State Auditor Beth Wood pleads guilty to hit-and-run charge

North Carolina State Auditor Beth Wood was convicted Thursday of a hit-and-run charge related to a December crash in a state-owned car after pleading guilty in Wake County court.

Wood, who appeared in court with lawyer Roger Smith Jr., was charged Dec. 12 with misdemeanor hit-and-run resulting in property damage after the crash, which happened on Salisbury Street near Hargett Street.

“I am human. I am not perfect," Wood told the court Thursday. "I apologize to the people of North Carolina who have trusted me.”

Wood had been attending a holiday gathering before the Dec. 8 crash. She said Thursday that she had consumed two glasses of wine at the party but was not impaired at the time of the crash.

"I take full and complete responsibility for my actions. No excuses," she told the court. "I made a grave mistake leaving the scene of my accident after a Christmas party in downtown Raleigh. I should have stayed at the scene. I should have called law enforcement. I should have let the process play out.”

The hit-and-run charge and a citation for unsafe movement infraction came four days after Wood drove a state-owned Toyota into a parked car, rolling partially up onto its hood, according to police reports, images and descriptions of the crash aftermath reported to emergency dispatchers. Police arrived at the scene to find the engine running and no driver, one of those reports said. The unsafe movement citation was dropped.

The car, a 2021 Toyota sedan, had been assigned to Wood in 2021. Following the crash, she was asked by the state to avoid driving other state cars until investigations into the incident were complete.

Watch Beth Wood's court appearance: Click or tap here

Wood paid about $7,700 in out-of-pocket funds to cover repairs and towing related to the crash. That factored into Meyer's sentence, which included a $100 fine and about $200 in court costs.

“You made a big mistake,” Wake District Judge Louis Meyer told Wood. “We all do make mistakes, and it's important that we pay for our mistakes and remedy our mistakes. And I believe you've done that here with the full restitution for the state damages to the state vehicle and the damages to the other vehicle."

He added: "You stand convicted of a serious class one misdemeanor and that'll be on your record. ... So, I don't feel there's a need to impose more than cost of court and fine. But I am going to make it a substantial fine because this was a very glaring incident of poor judgment and there were consequences to other folks."

Two others are facing misdemeanor charges in connection to the crash, according to court documents obtained Wednesday by WRAL News.

Jonah Mendys, 26, of Chapel Hill, was charged with obstructing justice and passenger failure to give information. The documents say Mendys was in the passenger seat of the state-issued car.

Ryan McGuirt, 29, of Chapel Hill, is charged with obstructing justice and accessory after the fact.

Efforts to reach Mendys and McGuirt for comment have been unsuccessful.

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.

Since the crash, she has faced calls to resign from the state Republican Party. She said in January that she planned to continue in the role "with the same energy and determination I am known for."

Wood told the court Thursday: "I will accept whatever your honor hands down. I will hold my head up and continue, God willing, to serve the people of this great state."