Gov. Nikki Haley was a passenger in a vehicle that struck a metal pole in Guilford County, N.C., on June 27, according to North Carolina State Highway Patrol records.
A collision report states that Kenneth G. Williamson of West Columbia was driving a 2011 Chevrolet SUV with three passengers in the vehicle: Haley, political advisor and former Haley chief of staff Tim Pearson, and Marissa Crawford (possibly a misspelling of Haley campaign fundraiser Marisa Crawford). The news was originally broken today by political blog FITSNews, which attributed the story to unnamed sources.
The Highway Patrol report lists a time of 6:30 p.m. and states that the vehicle was traveling north on PVA Grandover Resort at about 10 mph when it turned left onto Club Road and struck a metal pole in the roadway. “Inattention” is listed as a contributing circumstance in the collision.
It is unclear from the report what is meant by PVA, but Grandover Resort is a conference center and golf resort in Greensboro, N.C. According to an article in the Charlotte Observer, N.C. Gov. Pat McCrory hosted a $5,000-per-person retreat at Grandover on June 27 and 28. The article noted that the event was “expected to draw 100 to 150 corporate representatives and wealthy donors.” Gov. Haley was scheduled to appear on the first day for a reception, dinner, and forum.
The trip to North Carolina appears to have paid off for Haley. According to the governor’s campaign finance filings, she raised just under $61,000 for her re-election campaign on June 27 and 28, including $10,500 from the DeJoy family of Greensboro, $3,500 from Reynolds America PAC, and $3,500 from New Breed Logistics of High Point, N.C.
It is unclear whether the SUV in which Haley was riding was a state-owned vehicle or a private vehicle. A spokesperson for the North Carolina State Highway Patrol was unable to give additional details about the report and said the officer who responded to the scene is off duty today.
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