'Get her out of here': Video appears to show State Auditor Beth Wood being ushered from scene of crash

A social media video that resurfaced Tuesday shows a woman who fits the description of State Auditor Beth Wood being ushered into a downtown Raleigh office building moments after the crash that resulted in her recent hit-and-run charge.

But the actions of other people in the video — including some who yelled "get her out of here" — are causing at least one witness to question how far responsibility for the incident extends.

Wood was involved in a Dec. 8 crash on Salisbury Street near its intersection with Hargett Street. Police said she drove a state-owned Toyota into a parked car, rolling up onto its hood. Police arrived at the scene to find the engine running and no driver, according to a police report. Wood was charged Dec. 12 with misdemeanor hit-and-run resulting in property damage and cited for an unsafe movement infraction.

The video, posted Dec. 8 on Instagram by ride-share driver Larry Beam, shows a tall woman with cropped blonde hair — similar in appearance to Wood — in a white outfit being escorted by multiple people into an office building at 132 S. Salisbury St. "It was for sure her," he told WRAL News, referring to Wood.

The video then pans to show the aftermath of a crash outside the building — a dark Toyota sedan with a state license plate atop a parked car. Beam's video also shows a man standing by the state-owned car, which was issued to Wood. The man appears to be on the phone, kicking the corner of the car.

"It seems like there's so many other people involved," Beam said, describing others in the vicinity as "leaving the scene or even [egging] on or enabling someone to leave the scene."

Wood is the only person charged in the crash. Beam said he hopes those responsible are held accountable. "The evidence is there," he said.

Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman said Tuesday that investigators hadn't found sufficient evidence to charge anyone else in connection with the incident.

The building in Beam's video — the one people are seen rushing into — is occupied in part by the Edmisten & Webb Law Firm. Rufus Edmisten, a partner in the firm and a former state attorney general and secretary of state, was hosting a holiday party in the building that night, according to a copy of an invitation obtained by WRAL. Edmisten didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.

Wood said in a statement Monday that she had spent about two hours at a holiday gathering but didn't include specifics about the event. She said she she hit a parked car after she left the event.

"I was shaken by the incident and, when I was unable to move my vehicle, I left the scene," she said. "That was a serious mistake and I regret my decision." Wood described the crash as accidental and said she accepted "personal responsibility."

Wood is scheduled to appear in administrative court on Thursday. She didn't respond to a request for comment on the video. In a statement Tuesday, her lawyer, Roger Smith Jr., said: "Ms. Wood is taking full responsibility for her actions and is cooperating with authorities."

Asked whether Wood was drinking at the holiday gathering, her attorney didn't answer.

The video is the latest depiction of the crash scene to emerge in recent days, following similar portrayals laid out in police reports, recordings of emergency dispatchers and photos.

Beam said he was picking up an Uber passenger about a block from the scene on Dec. 8. As he approached, he heard a scrape. "It wasn't loud like a crash in any way," he said.

Then he heard yelling. "I hear, ‘Get her out of here. Get her out of here.’ So I grab my phone and start recording."

Beam identified the tall woman in the video as Wood after having seen pictures of her in recent news reports. In the video, he described her as "the woman in the white," the one who was driving.

Beam said he decided to call attention to his video after hearing about the owner of the parked car, Chris Valverde, whose daughter had been using the car to get to work.

Wood, in her statement Monday, apologized to Valverde.

Wood, a Democrat, is in her fourth term as state auditor, having served since 2009. Her office acts as a watchdog, examining financial affairs and regulatory processes of state government agencies. It also monitors other parts of state government, including computer systems, and it produces special studies requested by the state legislature, among other duties.

At an event in Moore County on Tuesday morning, Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, said he hadn't seen the video. "Obviously, this is a troubling situation," he said.

"I’m glad that she has addressed this matter publicly," he said, referring to her Monday statement.

Prior to that statement, Wood had been mum about the incident. As news of the crash broke, questions emerged and other state officials called on her to be more forthcoming.

Hours after her statement, the state Republican Party called on Wood to resign, despite her having support from some Republican state officials last week. Wood said she planned to stay in the role.

Asked if he thinks Wood should step down, Cooper said: "This is a matter that is currently under investigation, and that should continue to proceed."

WRAL Capitol Bureau Chief Laura Leslie contributed to this report.