North Carolina auditor faces hit-and-run, traffic charges

North Carolina's elected state auditor has a court date next week after she was cited for a misdemeanor hit-and-run and another traffic-related charge when police said she hit a parked car while driving on a Raleigh road.

Beth Wood, 68, was cited Dec. 12 for a collision that occurred four days before that resulted only in property damage to the parked sedan, according to a Wake County court citation. Raleigh police accused Wood of hit-and-run — leaving the scene and property damage — and for an unsafe movement infraction, court records show.

Wood's court appearance is Jan. 26 in Wake District Court. Someone without a previous criminal record would face no active jail time for a hit-and-run misdemeanor but could face probation. An unsafe movement count can be punishable by a fine.

Lane Rosen, a spokesperson for the state auditor's office, said Thursday that Wood had no comment on the charges, which were first reported by Axios Raleigh.

Wood, a Democrat, was elected in 2008. She has been reelected three times, most recently in 2020. She previously worked in the auditor's office and state treasurer's office.

According to the citation, the collision happened at about 9 p.m. Dec. 8 on South Salisbury Street. Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman said Raleigh police conducted an investigation.

The charging officer says there was probable cause to believe that Wood operated a Toyota at the scene of a collision in which she knew she was involved and failed to provide her name, address, and other information, the citation says. It also appears Wood operated a vehicle while “failing to see before turning from a direct line that such movement could be made in safety,” the citation reads.

The state auditor, one of 10 members of the North Carolina Council of State, performs financial reviews of state agencies, as well as performance audits and other studies sought by the General Assembly.