What we know, and don’t, about the hit-and-run charge against NC Auditor Beth Wood

Details of the crash that led to charges against North Carolina State Auditor Beth Wood last month have slowly emerged since the collision first came to light on Wednesday night, but there are still several unanswered questions about the incident.

Documents obtained by The News & Observer, including an accident report filled out by a Raleigh police officer who responded to the scene, have provided some important answers about what happened. Those include the fact that the vehicle Wood is accused of crashing was a 2021 Toyota Camry issued to her by the state government’s fleet of vehicles for state employees.

Ahead of Wood’s court appearance next week, here’s what we know and don’t know about the Dec. 8 incident.

What we know about the crash

The N&O was able to confirm the Toyota Camry assigned to Wood by Motor Fleet Management, a division of the Department of Administration, was the vehicle found at the scene of the crash. The car’s description, along with its single-digit license-plate number and VIN number, listed in the police report, matched information provided to The N&O by DOA.

The police report alleges that Wood was driving her car on South Salisbury Street, toward West Hargett Street, when she turned to the right and crashed into a 2016 Toyota sedan that was parked on the side of the road, out of the way of traffic. Wood’s car “overrode up onto the hood” of the parked car, according to the responding officer.

On Dec. 12, Wood submitted an “automotive loss report” to Holman, an accident services management company used by state government, in which she reported that, “I made a sharp sudden turn and struck a parked vehicle.”

What we know about what happened after the crash

When police arrived at the scene, they found the engine of Wood’s car running, and reported that the driver “appeared to have fled the scene.”

In three different 911 calls released by police, bystanders who discovered the scene of the crash said that Wood’s car was on top of the other car.

One of the callers told a dispatcher that one of the cars was on top of the other, “not completely, but two of the wheels are no longer on the ground. The other two are on the ground, and the car is on, and nobody is in it.”

The crash occurred around 9:12 p.m., according to a copy of the citation Wood was issued. The first 911 call was made at 9:20 p.m. and the other two followed at 9:24 p.m. In one of the calls, the caller tells the dispatcher that a police officer has just arrived.

By the time police arrived, they said there were no witnesses, but that surveillance video was available. They also said that both vehicles were towed away.

Wood also reported that the police had been called and that her vehicle was not driveable.

What we know about the charges

Wood was formally charged on Dec. 12, four days after the crash occurred, according to the citation.

She was charged with a Class 2 misdemeanor for hit-and-run, leaving the scene and property damage, as well as an infraction for unsafe movement, according to online court records. The charges were also confirmed by Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman.

She’s scheduled to appear in court at the Wake County Justice Center on Jan. 26.

What is still not known about the crash

Since news of the charges Wood faces were first reported on Wednesday night, The N&O has contacted Wood multiple times requesting comment. Wood hasn’t responded to any of those requests.

The police report and vehicle loss report only contain limited information, so there are still many details about the incident that aren’t clear:

▪ What caused Wood to allegedly drive her vehicle into the parked car.

▪ How the vehicle managed to end on top of the other car, partially suspended in the air.

▪ Where Wood was coming from, or where she was headed, when the accident occurred.

▪ Where Wood went after allegedly leaving her car, and if, and when, she reported the accident to the police. Or, if police tracked the vehicle to Wood and contacted her, when they did so.

▪ Why it took police four days after the incident occurred to charge Wood.

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