A leading Portland mayoral candidate's political aspirations may be derailed after a hit-and-run incident involving a parked Tesla.
According to The Post Millennial, Carmen Rubio, a city commissioner and frontrunner in Portland's mayoral race, was caught on video colliding with a parked Tesla and leaving the scene without leaving her contact information.
The incident, which occurred on September 13, has left Rubio considering withdrawing from the mayoral race due to embarrassment and public scrutiny.
The hit-and-run follows a recent report by the Oregonian that revealed Rubio's troubled driving history. Over the past two decades, the city commissioner has accumulated more than 150 parking tickets and traffic violations, resulting in at least six driver's license suspensions.
Video surveillance obtained by the Oregonian shows Rubio's 2017 Nissan scraping the bumper and wheel rim of a parked 2022 Tesla as she attempted to park. After the collision, Rubio exited her vehicle to assess the damage but left without leaving a note or any contact information.
The Tesla's owner, who identified herself as a liberal Democrat from Clackamas County, discovered the damage upon returning from an appointment. Utilizing her vehicle's "sentry mode" feature, she reviewed the footage and saw Rubio hitting her car and walking away.
Frustrated by the incident, the Tesla owner left a note on Rubio's windshield threatening legal action if the driver didn't follow up. Within 45 minutes, Rubio contacted the owner and sent a text message acknowledging the incident.
The hit-and-run incident has left Rubio feeling deeply embarrassed and reconsidering her political future. In a phone call to the Oregonian, Rubio expressed her remorse and humiliation:
I can't tell you how humiliated I am and I'm really sorry. I feel very embarrassed that during one of the worst weeks of my career, I was careless enough to be flustered and not paying as close attention as I should have been. Believe me, I feel worthless right now.
Rubio, who was previously the leading Democratic candidate to replace Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, is now contemplating dropping out of the race. She stated, "I would just rather drop out of my race, honestly," and added, "Believe me, I will not be driving for the foreseeable future."
The incident has sparked public outcry and raised questions about Rubio's fitness for office. The Tesla owner expressed her disbelief, saying, "Who does something like that?" Upon learning about Rubio's extensive history of traffic violations, she added, "How is something like that even possible? Let alone from an elected official?"
Rubio's driving record, which includes over 150 parking tickets and traffic violations in the past two decades, has come under intense scrutiny. The repeated license suspensions and the sheer volume of infractions have left many Portland residents questioning her judgment and responsibility.
Despite the video evidence, Rubio maintains that she did not see any damage to the Tesla when she initially assessed the situation. This claim contradicts the visible damage shown in the footage and has further eroded public trust in her account of the incident.
Carmen Rubio's hit-and-run incident involving a parked Tesla has severely impacted her mayoral campaign. Her extensive history of traffic violations has led to public outrage and calls for her to withdraw from the race. Rubio is now considering dropping out of the mayoral race due to the embarrassment and scrutiny surrounding the incident.
