Archive for December 13th, 2011

Pasadena police sergeant Matt Novotny seriously injured in motorcycle wreck

Pasadena Police Department sergeant Matt Novotny needs our prayers after being seriously injured in a motorcycle accident on Monday December 12, 2011. During the 10:40am motorcycle crash in South Houston Sgt. Novotny’s motorcycle went flying into the air and the officer was thrown at least 30 yards according to a witness. Witness Cesar Chopp said Sgt. Novotny went straight up in the air, moved a little when he landed and then was still. Novotny was transported by life flight to Memorial Hermann to be treated for a broken pelvis and other injuries. The accident happened near the intersection of Almeda and West Fuqua while Novotny was escorting a funeral procession. According to witnesses a blue vehicle hit sergeant Novotny knocking him off his motorbike then continued on and hit another car. The woman driving the car that hit him said she saw the green light as she was approaching the intersection but said she didn’t see the officer’s motorcycle until it was too late. Habiba Halim is identified as the driver who struck Sgt. Novotny in an article by Houston’s Channel 11 News. Police indicated they planned to ticket Ms. Halim for failure to stop for an emergency vehicle: notwithstanding that she has a green light, she still had a duty to stop for the police motorcycle with lights and sirens activated.

Hopefully Sgt. Novotny will fully recover from his injuries.  Unfortunately a broken pelvis is a serious orthopedic injury that typically requires an extensive recovery period. Hopefully both Ms. Halim and Sgt. Novotny have plenty of automobile insurance coverage. The Houston Chronicle’s coverage of the accident is here and indicates that Novotny is a 32-year veteran of Pasadena Police Department. The Chronicle lists the blue vehicle that struck Sgt. Novotny as a Honda CRV and states that Novotny was stopped in the center of the intersection when he was hit. FOX News’ coverage is available here.

Sergeant Matt Novotny was seriously injured in this Dec 12, 2011 motorcycle crash

Sergeant Matt Novotny, 32-year veteran of Pasadena Police Department.