NC auditor Beth Wood pleads guiilty to December hit-and-run charge

North Carolina State Auditor Beth Wooden advised a court docket Thursday that she made a “grave mistake” when she was concerned in a December hit-and-run in downtown Raleigh.

Driving the information: Wooden pleaded responsible in Wake County District Courtroom to a misdemeanor for driving a state automobile onto the hood of one other automobile, then fleeing and leaving the keys nonetheless within the automobile. She had been at a Democratic lobbyist’s Christmas get together.

Why it issues: Elected as state auditor for the primary time in 2009, Wooden is tasked with holding different officers and companies accountable and uncovering waste and abuse in authorities.

• However this incident remained beneath wraps for greater than a month.

The newest: “I made a grave mistake leaving the scene of my accident after a vacation get together in downtown Raleigh,” Wooden advised the court docket Thursday in her first clarification of the incident.

• Wooden took duty for her actions and was not impaired on the time, she mentioned, however had two glasses of wine.
• “I made an error in judgement within the second,” Wooden mentioned. “In the long run, if I had made the fitting resolution, we might not be right here as we speak.”

Catch up fast: Wooden’s accident occurred close to Salisbury and Hargett streets in downtown Raleigh on the night of December 8.

• “Two of the wheels are not on the bottom,” one one who known as 911 mentioned of Wooden’s automobile. “The opposite two are on the bottom, and the automobile is on, and no person’s in it.”
• 4 days later, she was charged with a Class 2 hit-and-run, leaving the scene and property injury.
• Two different individuals have been additionally charged associated to the incident, WRAL reported.
• Wooden has paid greater than $11,000 in restitution, Wake County District Legal professional Lorrin Freeman mentioned, and a decide on Thursday fined her about $300 on prime of that.