Newly released records show speed NC Auditor Beth Wood was driving at before crash

Months after her hit-and-run crash first came to light, newly released records shed light on how fast State Auditor Beth Wood was driving when she struck a parked vehicle in downtown Raleigh last year.

Wood had just left a Christmas party at the Edmisten and Webb law firm on the night of Dec. 8 when she drove her state-issued Toyota Camry onto the hood of another Camry that was parked on the side of the road. She apologized for leaving the scene of the crash after it first became public knowledge in January, and last month, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor hit-and-run charge.

After leaving the party, Wood drove for a little more than a minute before a vehicle tracker in her state car recorded a “possible accident,” according to records provided by the Department of Administration, which oversees the motor fleet for state employees.

The tracker recorded that Wood traveled less than a quarter of a mile and reached a maximum speed of 32 mph at some point during that brief drive. At the time of the crash, as the car recorded heavy braking, Wood was traveling at approximately 15 mph, the records show.

Many of the vehicles in the state fleet are equipped with a tracker, which records information like vehicle start and stop times, location, distance traveled, and maximum speed, Department of Administration spokesperson Julia Hegele said.

The speed limit throughout downtown Raleigh was lowered last year from 35 mph to 25 mph, which went into effect in late September.

Wood’s apology and court appearance

In a statement soon after the crash came to light, Wood said she made a sharp right turn and “inadvertently hit a parked car.” She said she was shaken by the incident, and left the scene when she realized she couldn’t move her car, which she called a “serious mistake,” and said she regretted.

During her court appearance last month, she said that she drank two glasses of wine at the party.

“I was not impaired but given the positioning of the cars and knowing I had two glasses of wine, I made an error in judgment in the moment,” Wood said during the March 23 court hearing. “In the end, if I had made the right decision, we would not be here today.”

Wood was ordered to pay around $300 in court costs. That was in addition to more than $11,000 she paid in restitution, which included towing and repair costs for her car, and repair costs for the car she struck.

Days before her court appearance, two men were charged in connection with the crash.

One of them, Jonah Mendys, 26, faces a misdemeanor charge for passenger failure to give information following an accident, while the other, Ryan McGurt, 29, faces a misdemeanor accessory after the fact charge. Both Mendys and McGurt were also charged with misdemeanor obstruction of justice.

During her court appearance, Wood expressed regret that two others had been charged as well.

Mendys and McGurt are both scheduled to appear in court on April 20.

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