Robert Novak Hits Pedestrian With His Black Corvette, Cited By DC Police

Politico's Jonathan Harris and Chris Frates report that Robert Novak was cited by DC police Wednesday morning after hitting a pedestrian with his black Corvette:

Syndicated columnist Robert D. Novak was cited by police after he hit a pedestrian with his black Corvette in downtown Washington, D.C., on Wednesday morning.

A Politico reporter saw Novak in the front of a police car with a citation in his hand; a WJLA-TV crew and reporter saw Novak as well. The pedestrian, a 66-year-old male, was hospitalized at George Washington University Hospital with minor injuries, according to DC Fire and EMS. Novak was later released by police and drove away from the scene.

"I didn't know I hit him. I feel terrible," a shaken Novak told reporters from Politico and WJLA as he was returning to his car. "He's not dead, that's the main thing." Novak said he was a block away from 18th and K streets Northwest, where the accident happened, when a bicyclist stopped him and said, "You hit someone." He said he was cited for failing to yield the right of way.

The bicyclist was David Bono, a partner at Harkins Cunningham, who was on his usual bike commute to work at 1700 K St. N.W. when he saw the accident happen.

As he traveled east on K Street, crossing 18th, Bono said a "black Corvette convertible with top closed plowed into the guy. The guy is sort of splayed onto the windshield."

Watch a local DC news report on the Novak pedestrian accident:

In an exclusive interview with TMZ, Novak admitted that he was at fault but blamed NPR for distracting him while driving:

Novak tells us he was listening to NPR in his Corvette when suddenly, "Some guy came up and hit my car with his fist. I figured I had done something that had created road rage, but I didn't know what it was. Then a bicyclist blocked the road in front of me. I asked what the problem was. He said, 'You can't just hit people and run away!'"

Novak says the cops came, put him "briefly" in the back of the police car and asked about what he heard at the time of impact. Novak told them and us that he didn't hear or feel anything. They asked if he had been drinking or on a cellphone. He answered "no" to both.

Novak, who was citied for failing to yield, says he won't fight the ticket, adding, "I assume witnesses are telling the truth."

Comments

[disgusted48]

This guy should be arrested. Twice. For the hit and run, and for assisting in outing Valerie Plame.

[karmafriend]

he got a $50 ticket for a hit and run.

[Ramirez]

Nearly 100% of pedestrian traffic deaths are caused by walking in front of a moving vehicle.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

Your boy must have been driving too slow.

[RevRick]

That is just bull. Little tip if you are going to make something up don't use such an rediculously obvious lie like "Nearly 100%". I probably wouldn't have bothered with a google search if you said 89%.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E01E2DB1431F93AA25750C0A96F958260

"Drivers Are at Fault in Most Pedestrian Deaths, Study Reports"


"Despite the reputation of New Yorkers as reckless jaywalkers who routinely court death, a study released yesterday by a pedestrian-rights group found that drivers are responsible for the vast majority of accidents in which pedestrians are killed.

In an analysis of police accident reports for 242 pedestrian and bicycle fatalities in 1997, the group, Right of Way, found that drivers were largely or partly to blame in 170 of the accidents, or 71 percent. The three leading causes of death were drivers turning into pedestrians in a crosswalk, speeding and running red lights or stop signs, the study found. Only 18 of the deaths were the pedestrian's fault, the study found. "

Of course that is only NYC. Other results that came up on the first page of google:

California 55% of the time the pedestrian was at fault.

Ohio 61%

The worst seems to be Florida where 80% of the fatailities are the pedestrians fault. However thats hardly "Nearly 100%".

[Ramirez]

Okay. You're right, I just threw that number out there based on my personal observations. Thanks for the google. But even when the pedestrian has the right of way, he is still in many cases stepping into the street in front of a moving vehicle. I've always thought of this as the "You bet your life that driver is sober" syndrome.

For what it's worth, on my last trip to DC I was amazed at the "rights" of pedestrians. Police on foot would routinely stop traffic to allow peds to cross the street. This may give peds an unrealistic opinion of their "rights" and the duties of the car, which is "supposed to stop."

Drivers will always stop if they see the ped; the duty of the ped is to make sure he is seen. The crosswalk is not magic and will not deflect a moving vehicle, regardless of who has right of way.

[GeoLee]

Yesterday I came within 6 inches of being hit by some woman turning right and not noticing I was walking with the safe to walk little man flashing on the light. Had she hit me she would have been in BIG trouble because turning left and waiting for me to get across the street was a police officer. My bet is the young driver had a cell phone in her hand, too. And I bet that she was for darn sure NOT listening to NPR. (;-}

[Ramirez]

Yeah, that's a tough spot. Drivers turning right are frequently looking to their left at oncoming traffic, especially if they are turning right on red. Then when they turn they do not see the ped.

That's not what happened in your case though, because since you had the crossing signal that means the car had the green light. The driver was just turning into you.

As a ped you need to remember that you are hard to see, even if you are in the right. Drivers are looking for other cars and for signal lights. Peds can fade into the backgroung.

And feeling secure because you see a police officer nearby will not make you any safer. Sure, the driver will be in trouble if you get whacked, but it won't be nearly as bad as what happens to you.

Everytime you step into the street your life is at risk. Watch. Look both ways. Be aware, and be agile. Never assume the car will see you.

That's my opinion, anyway.

[sisterdebmac]

Jeebus, you're in rare form today, son. Blame the vitcim even here. Why? You don't even know that he's a democrat.

[JessWonderin]

Nearly 100% of pedeserian traffic deaths are caused by dying.

[dutt]

Robert Novak is an excellent example of why we need better public transportation. As a bicycle commuter I too often see careless drivers who appear absolutely oblivious to all that is around them. They really have no business being behind the wheel of a car.

[bikerdude]

Whoo boy! I live in south Florida and ride motorcycles. You should see the drivers here when the snowbirds arrive. I can't tell you how many times my life was put in mortal danger by a carload of blue haired ladies...Then when they see they missed you, they shake their fists at you or give you the finger....I wouldn't even think of hitting the road on my bicycle during "the season"...

[PatA]

"Novak, who was citied for failing to yield, says he won't fight the ticket, adding, "I assume witnesses are telling the truth."
It's the combover, silly........

[genia]

Good to be the Republican !
A Corvette? Ugh....wrong on so many levels.
Come on.......he didn't even have to "go downtown" for questioning. He... HIT... someone and he gets a friggin ticket !!
Damn biker.....messin' up Novaks day like that !

[bikerdude]

Its worse than just hitting the guy. He left the scene without stopping and there was at least one witness who saw the victim splayed across his windshield. DC cops are always lenient with "celebrities". They are told to not arrest them if its possible to avoid. Novak should be charged and prosecuted for all the crimes he committed to the fullest extent of the law. I hope the victim and witness step up and press charges. I hope the victim gets a huge settlement from the Novak vault....

[DRaymond]

Oh my Goodness, this admission by Novak will likely ruin his career forever!

The hit and run? No, it was that he listens to NPR!

[GhiaccioPronto]

Hitting pedestrians is a well know side effect of listening to NPR amongst a subset of over 70 male corvette drivers.

[bikerdude]

He isn't over 70 and he most probably was aiming it rather than driving it...I'm over 70, listen to NPR and have never hit a pedestrian in my life...came close a couple of times, but they managed to get to the curb in time...

[mcnairbo]

How am I suppose to know I hit somebody? Just because some guy is riding on my windshield??? I thought we were carpooling together!!!!

[ForRichardorPoorer]

funny.

[Plus15]

In his original statement to the police Robert Novak said he thought that the pedestrian's claim that Novak had hit him with his car was all in the guys head. "These hit and runs are all psychological" and he could tell right away that the guy was just "another whiner".

[meanguy]

i don't care who you are, that's funny right there

[zeitgeist79]

I don't get it. How do you not see some guy splayed out on your windshield. Did he black out or something? Seriously, I think he needs to be checked out. That's disturbing. Washingtonians beware.

[bikerdude]

What Novak did is called lying AND leaving the scene of an accident....

[lisakaz2]

Shades of "The Great Gatsby" and the lack of concern for John Q Public...until he got caught, of course.

[NoSandwiches]

Someone is splayed on his windshield and he doesn't hear OR see anything that makes him believe he ran into a man hard enough to cause injuries that require hospitalization?
Well that makes sense.
He's about the same age as John McCain.
Hearing and sight deteriorate, as does judgement and recollection.

More likely his "blindness" was caused by utter panic, and his mind blocked out the reality.
Again, sounding a lot like someone we know...

[LWkcma]

very astute observation..."his mind blocked out the reality.". He's been out of touch with reality a long time.

[GeoLee]

Actually he is about the age McCain would be if he got elected and completed a term of office...we need to all be aware that could be what we could be getting by 2012 if we vote the wrong way. Novak was born Feb 1931 & McCain was born Aug 1936. 77 vs almost 72

[rabrophy]

Hit & Run and he gets a citation and drives away?? WTF!

[GeoLee]

Probably stil carrying around that preemptive pardon from Bushkin.

[guajiro]

"He said he was cited for failing to yield the right of way."

Cop asks him if he was drinking and then is satisfied with the "no" answer from Novak ? This after Novak just ran over a pedestrian and then claims he never even felt, heard, or saw the accident? I'd sure run a drug and/or alcohol test on someone if they couldn't even remember the accident. That loss of memory alone is indicative of maybe alzheimers or temporary loss of memory induced by drug abuse of some type. No blood test no nothing. Damn incompetent cop.

[owiseone]

Hero is David Bono--experienced, very successful DC trial lawyer, magna com laude graduate of Harvard Law School.

Guess he would make a pretty good witness?--"the man was splayed on the windshield"!!

Bravo Bono!

[bikerdude]

Thank you for posting that Bono deserve an attaboy!

[owiseone]

and thanks for the thanks.

I can't believe Bono is not the story instead of Novak!! (of course he probably doesn't want the attention--he sounds more like a guy who works for justice than one who flashes around in a Corvette, delving in exposing undercover CIA operations which took years to set up, endangering the lives of informants in Iran/Iraq)

So in addition to treason, Novak is also getting away with hit-and-run.