Details emerge about crash, DUI arrest of Nancy Pelosi's husband as critics respond

The California Highway Patrol released a statement late Sunday with new details on Paul Pelosi's arrest as critics gave a range of responses to him and his wife Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi over the incident.

Paul Pelosi, 82, was arrested shortly before midnight Saturday on suspicion of driving while intoxicated after a 2014 Jeep collided with his 2021 Porsche at an intersection near Yountville, Calif., law enforcement said. 

He was booked into the Napa County Detention Center after 4 a.m. Sunday and charged with driving under the influence and driving with a BAC .08% or higher, according to court records. He was released several hours later on $5,000 bail.

The 48-year-old driver of the Jeep was not taken into custody and no injuries were reported, according to The Associated Press.

The California Democratic congresswoman's spokesperson Drew Hammill told the AP on Sunday: "The speaker will not be commenting on this private matter which occurred while she was on the East Coast."

Nancy Pelosi delivered Brown University's commencement address on Sunday in Rhode Island.

Paul Pelosi, who has made headlines before over stock purchases, received a wide range of responses to news of his arrest.

In a statement to the news media, a Pelosi attorney is disputing some of the reporting of the incident.

"Several news reports about Saturday night’s traffic incident involving Paul Pelosi have included incorrect information," the attorney said. "Mr. Pelosi was attending a dinner party at the home of friends near Oakville.

“He left that party at 10:15 PM Saturday, to drive to his home a short distance away. He was alone in his car. After stopping at the intersection of Walnut Drive and Highway 29, and proceeding across Highway 29 to Oakville Cross Road, his car was hit on the back fender by a Jeep heading southbound on Highway 29."

The attorney also said Pelosi was "fully cooperative with California Highway Patrol officers" and that "a prior driving offense erroneously attributed to Mr. Pelosi is untrue and likely refers to another person with the same name."

"There are also incorrect reports that misstate the timing of events,” the statement also reads. "Mr. Pelosi left the dinner party at 10:15 PM Saturday. The incident happened a few minutes later. [California Highway Patrol] and Napa County processing took until 7:30 AM Sunday.”

Social media users were critical of Pelosi' actions as reported.

"This Memorial Day weekend, remember not to drink and drive. Save a life, call an Uber," Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) wrote in a tweet tagging the House Speaker.

Conservative influencer John Cardillo said that Paul Pelosi "ignored DUI laws the same way killers ignore gun laws. Yet no one says ever proposes that just one more DUI law would eliminate drunk driving and save lives."

Writer Kimberly Morin pointed out, "The guy is a multi-millionaire... why the Hell would he risk driving drunk. Clearly, he's done it before. At 82 years old, he definitely knows better."

Posting about the vehicle collusion, commentator Mike Cernovich said, "This is how people die."