‘Not Guilty’ says Saratoga Councilmember

Rishi Kumar - Portrait from the Saratoga City Council website.

About two months after Saratoga Councilmember Rishi Kumar was implicated in a hit-and-run incident in the West Valley, Kumar has plead ‘not guilty’ in Santa Clara County Superior Court.

Santa Clara County Sheriff Deputies cited Saratoga Councilmember Rishi Kumar in late September for the incident. The misdemeanor hit-and-run included property damage, according to court documents filed two weeks ago and information first reported at the time by San Jose Inside.

Kumar’s accident, which apparently involved three vehicles took place near the intersection of Wolfe Rd. and Pruneridge Ave. in north Cupertino near the Apple Headquarters. Kumar is accused of driving away from the accident without properly exchanging insurance information with the other drivers.

The next court actions for Kumar are on Tuesday, December 3. If he is convicted, he could face the standard penalty for misdemeanor in California: up to six months in jail, a $1,000 fine, or both.

Kumar, who is actively running against Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (D-CA-18) in the 2020 primary, has also been cited for speed limit violations twice in the last five years.