ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, September 19, 1996 TAG: 9609190059
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: RALEIGH, N.C.
SOURCE: Associated Press
NASCAR great Richard Petty, who is running for secretary of state in North Carolina, was charged Wednesday with hit-and-run and reckless driving in connection with an accident Sept.11 in Cabarrus County.
State Highway Patrol officials said the accident happened on Interstate 85 as Petty was trying to pass another driver. Petty is accused of bumping the car from behind, then passing it and driving away, The News & Observer of Raleigh reported.
Petty is scheduled to appear in Cabarrus County District Court on Oct.16 to face the charges, both misdemeanors, said Renee Hoffman, spokeswoman for the state Department of Crime Control and Public Safety.
Petty is the Republican nominee for secretary of state. He is running against Democrat Elaine Marshall for the post.
Tom Grady, a Concord lawyer who said he is a friend of Petty, called the traffic incident minor. James Forest Rassette of Oak Ridge, the other driver involved, declined to comment.
Attempts to contact Petty were unsuccessful.
``I have not had a chance to talk to Mr. Petty other than to tell you that, again, it was a very, very minor incident,'' Grady said. ``I have talked to Mr. Rassette. He realized it was a minor incident and, hopefully, we can have it resolved. Certainly Mr. Petty regrets that anything's ever happened and so does Mr. Rassette.''
Capt. H.M. Overcash, the Highway Patrol troop commander overseeing the investigation, said Rassette claimed his car was hit three or four times from behind.
``Mr. Rassette said that he slowed down, and it's my opinion that he assumed the truck hit him on purpose,'' Overcash said.
Rassette gave a trooper Petty's driver license plate number, and the trooper pulled over Petty a short time later. He was questioned again Monday by a trooper.
LENGTH: Short : 45 linesby CNB