Bob Novak hits pedestrian

Syndicated columnist Robert Novak, the man who first publicly revealed Valerie Plame's identity as a CIA operative, hit a pedestrian while driving his black Corvette to work this morning along Washington's K Street.

The 77-year-old conservative journalist and TV pundit -- whose column on Plame unleashed a federal investigation that led to vice presidential Chief of Staff Scooter Libby's conviction for lying  -- told the Washington Post he had no idea he had hit anyone until he was flagged down by several witnesses, including a bicycle messenger who called D.C. police. Novak said the messenger (since reported to be not a messenger but a lawyer commuting to work) was "shouting at me that I couldn't just hit people and drive away. But I didn't know I'd hit him. I really didn't have any idea it happened until they flagged me down and told me."

Turns out this is not the first time Novak has had a run-in with pedestrians. The Washington Post's Lloyd Grove reported back in March of 2001 that CNN researcher Evan Glass was walking across Pennsylvania Avenue at noon one day when he passed in front of Novak's Corvette. "Learn to read the signs!" Novak snapped, according to Glass. Novak told Grove: "He was crossing on the red light. I really hate jay walkers. 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."

Novak told the local ABC affiliate that he had no idea if the victim was even a man or a woman. You can see the WJLA-TV video of their interview with Novak here. The victim, a man in his 60s, was taken to George Washington University Medical Center with "very minor injuries," said D.C. Fire Department spokesman Alan Etter. 

Asked by C2C (that's us, Countdown to Crawford) if the columnist had been talking on his cellphone, a spokeswoman for Novak said, "I know for a fact that he was not." She said Novak, cited for failing to yield a right of way and fined $50, is no longer taking press calls.

-- Johanna Neuman

Photo: Alex Wong / Getty Images

Comments

[jmutch]

To queensclown: it says here:

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0708/11985.html

[Mark]

Seattle, I'd have to contend that we're ALL blissfully ignorant. I guess my question is, and I agree with David on this, how is this news? Why do I care if Chris Bale yelled at his mother? If Novak had backed up and run over the guy again and again, it still wouldn't be worth reporting.
If I see one more story about how great Heath Ledger's Joker portrayal was, I may vomit.
We seem to believe about 98% of what we see and hear on the web and TV, when the opposite should be true.

Does anyone out there know where we can get an unbiased news story anymore? Is it possible?

[Gonzo]

I have 2 Corvettes... and I'm not a 'gross old white man', but a person of color who worked very hard to afford my cool cars.

IMHO, Novak was obviously on the phone... otherwise distraacted or too old to drive.

It is IMPOSSIBLE to have an accident in a Corvette (IMHO) like this with the fellow on the hood, in the daytime, and not know it. Impossible.

Fiberglass makes a sound like a drum when you hit something.

[GHM]

He didn't know he hit that democrat>
Yea!
Yea!!

[GHM]

I didn't know he could drive.
At McCains and Novaks age their lucky their still alive,
let alone drive and car and hit and run.
I take that back that's all
McCain does .
But his hits on Obama just do not make any sense, I guess it his senality.

[Bill]

This guy is far too old to have a drivers license. If it were up to me he’d be strapped in a golf cart with McCain..

[Ed Weirdness]

Wasn't there a Senator somewhere on the east coast who drove off a bridge and drowned some poor woman riding with him? I don't recall there being any fine at all, or for that matter much of an investigation. Sheesh, you'd think a miles long walk in the cold and dark in wet clothes, and the fact that your car was missing might have registered with even the most jaded partisan. Go figure!

[BT]

Ok he wasn't on the phone, but was he drunk. Or is that just the way he looks. Novak is a sleaze.

[Michael]

"He's not dead, that's the main thing." That's how Novak responded when asked about his victim's injuries.

Not dead?! Well, whoop-dee-doo, eh, Mr. Novak? You dodged a bullet and probably won't be charged with manslaughter.

While it's good news that the poor fellow you didn't care about is still breathing, that still leaves many other horrible possibilities not to be happy about. Among them paralysis, brain damage and internal bleeding.

But rich folks like you have lawyers and insurance to care for that stuff, right?

[breagerey]

the guy on the bike who stopped him was NOT a bike messenger like the LATimes story says.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/07/23/politics/politico/main4286279.shtml
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.

[Neil D. Hunt]

I was run over by a UCLA Womans Basketball player and she got not so much as a ticket!!! Her insurance found she was at fault yet the police are corrupt. Nice brasts or celebrity get you out of everything. That fossil shouldn't drive a tricycle let alone a Corvette!!!

[it figures]

I don't feel any sympathy for Novak. He's a traitor for outing Plame. That he was involved in a hit-and-run is no surprise, it's part of his character.

[Craig]

Just look at the facts. Who cares what his political leanings are. I think liberals should be sent to another planet, but if the driver was a liberal I would still look at the facts involved in this situation. Obviously the witness was lying because the person only had minor injuries. If he was laid out on the hood he wouldn't have minor injuries. Also, in every case the pedestrian has the right of way. A pedestrian could touch the side of a car stopped at a light, call the police, and the driver would be charged with hit and run automatically. They need credible, truthful witnesses because a pedestrian can be stupid, run into the side of a car and of course it will look bad because it is a large object and a small object connecting so the first assumption is that it's the drivers fault. If you don't ever want the possibility of getting hit by a car then you should never get near a car or roadway.

[Richard P. McDonough]

Novak is a vile human being.
Cited for not yielding?
One hopes that the victim and the witnesses get together and have this man who revealed the name of a CIA operative up on hit and run charges, lying to an officer, and being Robert Novak. The last is, I understand, the most serious offense.

[G]

This is unreal - and this guy will get to keep his license, keep driving, etc. If it were any of us, regardless of age, we'd get hammered. You'll see - bet he gets to keep driving his vette (which he really should give to me, or one of you) and that's it. What a joke. Take the bus if you can't see pedestrians -

[rojo]

. . . hit and run, that's bull, i was racing. . . too bad dick cheney wasn't riding shotgun! he could have taken out the bicylist.

[Herman Krieger]

It must have been a liberal.

[James Carr]

He can only see out of his right eye!

[Laura]

...does'nt anyone find it odd there just happened to be a lawyer on a bike who witnessed the entire thing...and the pedestrian had VERY minor injuries. Sounds more like a set-up that would have worked had they not jumped in front of a pretty influential person..........????????

[Michael]

What a scumbag, he looks like a carp.

[gooseguy]

Y'know the name and work address of the bicycling attorney are publicly available, and this is potentially a "juicy" enuff story... that any TV news organization should have no trouble getting him -- David Bono, a partner at Harkins Cunningham at 1700 K St. N.W. -- in front of a camera if there is any story there. Hopefully someone got the ID of the other witnesses as well. Meanwhile, the Pedestrian in question should be able to come forward if inclined, and tell us his version.

If in fact all the elements of a hit-and-run were present and this can be proved, then the story-within-the-story becomes why Novak was slapped on the wrist and released when the police had a bona fide hit-and-run.

Reminds me of Larry Craig trying to wriggle out of his arrest, and then shove it under a rug. These people can be pulled back into the limelight and examined.

When you think about it, chances are the responding officers don't even know who "Robert Novak" is; either way we'd like to think that the police don't take politics or fame into consideration in making such evaluations.... right??

[Kudzu Fire]

When I am 77, i hope I have better sense.

[Tim]

Dave said: "How is this even a story? As soon as he realized what happened, he stopped. The pedestrian is fine, and Novak paid his fine. Could this be something to do with Mr. Novak's political leanings?"

The guy he hit was taken to the hospital and treated with minor injuries. In the past he has had several run ins with pedestrians and other drivers and has made the remark... "I really hate jay walkers. 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." Now your going to say this has to do with his political leanings? This isnt about his politics, this is about him being an petrified A-hole.

[DVS`]

Hey "Craig"...you're kidding, right? You blame the pedestrian for getting hit by the car!? Do you honestly believe that that person went out that day thinking "Boy, if I play my cards right, I bet I can get hit by some big-name journalist in his Corvette today." You state that "...a pedestrian can be stupid..." I hate to break it to you, Pal, but so can a driver. And after all is said and done, you sabotage your own argument by saying "Also, in every case the pedestrian has the right of way."

[mike l]

i am a firefighter paramedic in chicago, this does happen often,people do get up with little and /or no injuries.Many drivers do not initially see a pedestrian that enters the road,particularly if they enter qiuckly(when trying to cross before a car arrives in their path).I have no opinion either way about Novak,just wanted to clarify that not every pedestrian in those situations get"creamed",besides,vettes are pretty low to the ground,odds are the pedestrian sat on the hood.If he were struck with any force he would have gone over the car and not on the windshield.