Robert Novak hits ped, chased down by bike commuter
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Heidi Goldberg
Jul 23, 2008, 3:46:22 PM7/23/08
to MABRA-USCF
latest news. Watch out for crazy conservatives when you are riding around town...
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Eric Rosenberg <w3...@arrl.net>
Date: Wed, Jul 23, 2008 at 2:34 PM
Subject: [DC-BAC] More on Robert Novak - from Politico.com
To: DC Bicycle Advisory Council dc-...@googlegroups.com
-----------------
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0708/11985.html
Novak cited after hitting pedestrian
By JONATHAN MARTIN & CHRIS FRATES | 7/23/08 2:02 PM EST
Updated: 7/23/08 2:02 PM EST
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 man who was not further identified by
authorities, was treated at George Washington University Hospital for
minor injuries, according to D.C. 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 occurred, when a
bicyclist stopped him and said he had 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 witnessed
the accident.
As he traveled east on K Street, crossing 18th, Bono said "a black
Corvette convertible with top closed plows into the guy. The guy is
sort of splayed into the windshield."
Bono said that the pedestrian, who was crossing the street on a "Walk"
signal and was in the crosswalk, rolled off the windshield and that
Novak then made a right into the service lane of K Street. "This car
is speeding away. What's going through my mind is, you just can't hit
a pedestrian and drive away," Bono said.
He said he chased Novak half a block down K Street, finally caught up
with him and then put his bike in front of the car to block it and
called 911. Traffic immediately backed up, horns blaring, until
commuters behind Novak backed up so he could pull over.
Bono said that throughout, Novak "keeps trying to get away. He keeps
trying to go." He said he vaguely recognized the longtime political
reporter and columnist as a news personality but could not precisely
place him.
Finally, Bono said, Novak put his head out the window of his car and
motioned him over. Bono said he told him that you can't hit a
pedestrian and just drive away. He quoted Novak as responding: "I
didn't see him there."
A concierge at 1700 K Street said that she saw a bicyclist yelling and
walked outside to see what the commotion was about.
"This guy hit somebody and he won't stop so I'm going to stay here
until the police come," Aleta Petty quoted Bono as saying, as he stood
in K Street, blocking traffic.
D.C. police confirmed that there was an accident at 18th and K streets
NW at approximately 10 a.m. involving a black Corvette convertible and
that the driver was a white male.
The intersection is in the hub of Washington's business district and
is filled with pedestrians who work in the law firms and lobby shops
that line the corridor.
Novak, 77, has earned a reputation around the capital as an aggressive
driver, easily identified in his convertible sports car.
In 2001, he cursed at a pedestrian on the corner of Pennsylvania
Avenue and 13th streets Northwest for allegedly jaywalking.
"'Learn to read the signs, [bodily orifice]!' Novak snapped before
speeding away," according to an item in The Washington Post's Reliable
Source column.
Novak explained to the paper: "He was crossing on the red light. I
really hate jaywalkers. I despise them. Since I don't run the country,
all I can do is yell at 'em. The other option is to run 'em over, but
as a compassionate conservative, I would never do that."
Two years later, the same column reported that Novak had gone to a
racing school in Florida.
"I've wanted to be a racecar driver all my life, and anyone who has
watched me drive can tell you that," Novak said.
Anne Schroeder Mullins and Adrienne Smutko contributed to this story.
More from ABC7 News: http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0708/537957.html
From: Eric Rosenberg <w3...@arrl.net>
Date: Wed, Jul 23, 2008 at 2:34 PM
Subject: [DC-BAC] More on Robert Novak - from Politico.com
To: DC Bicycle Advisory Council dc-...@googlegroups.com
-----------------
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0708/11985.html
Novak cited after hitting pedestrian
By JONATHAN MARTIN & CHRIS FRATES | 7/23/08 2:02 PM EST
Updated: 7/23/08 2:02 PM EST
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 man who was not further identified by
authorities, was treated at George Washington University Hospital for
minor injuries, according to D.C. 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 occurred, when a
bicyclist stopped him and said he had 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 witnessed
the accident.
As he traveled east on K Street, crossing 18th, Bono said "a black
Corvette convertible with top closed plows into the guy. The guy is
sort of splayed into the windshield."
Bono said that the pedestrian, who was crossing the street on a "Walk"
signal and was in the crosswalk, rolled off the windshield and that
Novak then made a right into the service lane of K Street. "This car
is speeding away. What's going through my mind is, you just can't hit
a pedestrian and drive away," Bono said.
He said he chased Novak half a block down K Street, finally caught up
with him and then put his bike in front of the car to block it and
called 911. Traffic immediately backed up, horns blaring, until
commuters behind Novak backed up so he could pull over.
Bono said that throughout, Novak "keeps trying to get away. He keeps
trying to go." He said he vaguely recognized the longtime political
reporter and columnist as a news personality but could not precisely
place him.
Finally, Bono said, Novak put his head out the window of his car and
motioned him over. Bono said he told him that you can't hit a
pedestrian and just drive away. He quoted Novak as responding: "I
didn't see him there."
A concierge at 1700 K Street said that she saw a bicyclist yelling and
walked outside to see what the commotion was about.
"This guy hit somebody and he won't stop so I'm going to stay here
until the police come," Aleta Petty quoted Bono as saying, as he stood
in K Street, blocking traffic.
D.C. police confirmed that there was an accident at 18th and K streets
NW at approximately 10 a.m. involving a black Corvette convertible and
that the driver was a white male.
The intersection is in the hub of Washington's business district and
is filled with pedestrians who work in the law firms and lobby shops
that line the corridor.
Novak, 77, has earned a reputation around the capital as an aggressive
driver, easily identified in his convertible sports car.
In 2001, he cursed at a pedestrian on the corner of Pennsylvania
Avenue and 13th streets Northwest for allegedly jaywalking.
"'Learn to read the signs, [bodily orifice]!' Novak snapped before
speeding away," according to an item in The Washington Post's Reliable
Source column.
Novak explained to the paper: "He was crossing on the red light. I
really hate jaywalkers. I despise them. Since I don't run the country,
all I can do is yell at 'em. The other option is to run 'em over, but
as a compassionate conservative, I would never do that."
Two years later, the same column reported that Novak had gone to a
racing school in Florida.
"I've wanted to be a racecar driver all my life, and anyone who has
watched me drive can tell you that," Novak said.
Anne Schroeder Mullins and Adrienne Smutko contributed to this story.
More from ABC7 News: http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0708/537957.html
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