It seems that the Douche Bag of Liberty, a/k/a Novacula a/k/a the Prince of Darkness a/k/a right-wing shill and sub-human, Robert Novak, struck a pedestrian with his Corvette [insert small penis joke here] at one of DC's busiest intersections and then kept driving. Evidently a bicyclist caught up to him and made him pull over.
Fortunately, the pedestrian is okay - apparently released from the hospital with minor injuries. (Man, I wish I did personal injury work.)
Alas, the douche bag remains a douche bag.
isn't it against the law to drive away from that? could he be looking at legal troubles?
Posted by: Paul Pinemarten | July 23, 2008 at 02:57 PM
It is indeed against the law. Reports I read said that he got a $50 traffic ticket -- that bicyclist may have saved Mr. D.B. from some serious legal problems by getting him to stop.
Posted by: Sir Charles | July 23, 2008 at 03:15 PM
You beat me to the punch. I was just going to post this. My husband is a cyclist, bikes to work every day in rush hour (I disapprove, think it's dangerous, am just waiting for the knock on the door one day to see cop standing on my porch, but there's nothing I can do), and he sent me this.
Did you see in the article where it says the pedestrain was kind of splayed across Novak's windshield, as witnesses attest, yet the son of a bitch claims he didn't know he'd hit anyone?? God, I wish somebody would clock him.
Posted by: Lisa Simeone | July 23, 2008 at 03:19 PM
I'm the man for the job.
Seriously, we are having a major problem with pedestrians and bicyclists getting hit here. There have been two people killed in my neighborhood in the last six months or so crossing the street and there was a terrible accident that killed a young bike rider just off Dupont Circle in the last week or two.
People drive here in the most aggressive and distracted way possible. I'm no shrinking violet behind the wheel, but it is lunacy. I bet he was on the phone.
Posted by: Sir Charles | July 23, 2008 at 04:10 PM
Still, give me DC any day over Baltimore. I think the sheer number of pedestrians has something to do with safety, and there are obviously many, many more pedestrians in DC than in Charm City. Here, even if you have the right of way and are at a crosswalk, you're taking your life in your hands. There are intersections where I simply will not cross, in my own neighborhood. I'm safer choosing a spot in the middle of the street instead of at an intersection.
Also, for those posting elsewhere, like at Politico, who suggest hitting guilty cars with hands, purses, or umbrellas -- no way. Not unless you want to get beat up, stabbed, or shot.
Posted by: Lisa Simeone | July 23, 2008 at 04:22 PM
Don't even get me started about cellphones. We all know that most of the people reading this blog drive while using cellphones. I don't own one, hate the goddamn things, so at least I'm clear on that score.
Posted by: Lisa Simeone | July 23, 2008 at 04:23 PM
The cyclist who used his own body and bike to block Novakula from fleeing the scene--and this after the victim had been splayed across the Corvette's windshield before falling to the street? MSNBC just reported he's a DC attorney who's the former editor of the Harvard Law Review. Apparently, he had to shout and scream to get the criminal asshole to stop, and it held up traffic and horns were honking nonstop (oh, those poor widdle commuters, having to stop their cars because someone got hurt and someone else tried to get away with committing a felony in broad daylight. Jesus.)
I just read that Novak went to racing school in Florida (Skip Barber, I'm guessing). Clearly he wasn't paying attention during the part where they explain the difference between the racetrack you're currently driving on and a busy, inner-city intersection. I will have to tell Robert about this.
Posted by: litbrit | July 23, 2008 at 04:59 PM
There is, naturally, two subway stops one block from where this incident occurred. It's one of the parts of DC that you really don't need a car to get to.
Posted by: Sir Charles | July 23, 2008 at 05:06 PM
One of my colleagues, a tiny woman, was hit by a car -- by a hit-and-run asshole like our buddy Novak here -- in front of our building several years ago and almost killed. She had a long rehabilitation. Now she's become something of a pedestrian vigilante, like the commenters on Politico. She slams cars and yells at drivers. I worry about her.
Posted by: Lisa Simeone | July 23, 2008 at 05:18 PM