THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, September 19, 1996 TAG: 9609190566
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: RALEIGH LENGTH: 39 lines
NASCAR great Richard Petty, who is campaigning to become North Carolina's secretary of state, Wednesday was charged with hit-and-run and reckless driving in connection with an accident in Cabarrus County last week.
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 on the charges, both misdemeanors, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Crime Control and Public Safety said.
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's, called the Sept. 11 occurrence 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 said his car was hit three to 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 Petty over a short time later. He was questioned again by a trooper on Monday. by CNB