BBC News reported on Dec. 29:
"Maryland's first female Episcopal bishop was the driver in a hit-and-run crash that killed a bicyclist in Baltimore, the diocese says. Bishop Suffragan Heather Cook's vehicle collided with Tom Palermo, 41, on Saturday and initially left the scene.
"Diocesan Bishop Eugene Sutton told clergy members in an email that Bishop Cook returned 20 minutes later 'to take responsibility for her actions.'
"Ms. Cook, who was elected bishop in September, has been put on leave. (She was elected in May.)
"'Together with the Diocese of Maryland, I express my deep sorrow over the death of the cyclist and offer my condolences to the victim's family,' Bishop Sutton said.
"'Please pray for Mr. Palermo, his family and Bishop Cook during this most difficult time.'
"Bishop Cook was ordained priest in 1987 and served in Virginia, New York and Pennsylvania before returning to the state.
"A small makeshift memorial was created near the road where Mr. Palermo was killed. The road had a designated bike lane.
"Police, who did not identify Ms. Cook, did not say when or if charges would be filed against the driver."
Think about that: "or if charges would be filed." (Why on earth not?)
Court records show that in 2010 Ms. Cook was charged with driving under the influence and marijuana possession in Caroline County on the eastern shore of Maryland. She pleaded guilty to drunken driving, and the prosecution dropped all of the other charges. A judge sentenced her to a fine and probation before judgment on the DUI charge, meaning her record could be cleared if she stayed out of trouble.
A sheriff's deputy stopped Ms. Cook on Sept. 10, 2010. The officer wrote in a report that Ms. Cook was driving on the shoulder at 29 miles per hour with a shredded front tire. The deputy noted that a strong alcohol odor emanated from the vehicle and that Ms. Cook had vomit down the front of her shirt.
The officer wrote that Ms. Cook was so intoxicated that she couldn't finish a field sobriety test because she might fall and hurt herself. According to the report, Ms. Cook registered .27 percent blood alcohol content. The legal limit in Maryland is .08 percent.
The officer found two small bags of marijuana in the vehicle along with paraphernalia and a bottle of wine and a bottle of liquor.
Diocesan spokeswoman Sharon Tillman said Ms. Cook disclosed the earlier charges when she was vetted and ultimately elected as the diocese's first female bishop. Neither Ms. Cook, 58, nor her attorney, David Irwin, responded to emails and calls for comment on Monday.
Church leaders who knew of Cook's 2010 arrest did not return calls.
Spokeswoman Tillman said that co-chairs of the Selection Committee and the diocesan chancellor knew of the incident.
Bishop Sutton, in a letter to clergy of all the diocese, wrote:
"Several news organizations have reported this as a 'hit-and-run.' Bishop Cook did leave the scene initially, but returned after about 20 minutes to take responsibility for her actions. Because the nature of the accident could result in criminal charges, I have placed Bishop Cook on administrative leave, effective immediately."
Among numerous comments reported on the Internet were the following three:
- From Sharon: "Am I alone in being appalled by Bishop Taylor's letter? Calling it an accident before fault has been determined? And what is it other than a hit-and-run when a motorist drives off, leaving a person she hit dying in the middle of the road? Glad she returned and took responsibility, but that doesn't mean it isn't hit-and-run … Wish the headline were stronger: 'Bishop Kills Cyclist' would fit."
- From Stuart Hunt: "Witnesses at the scene were reporting the good bishop was chased down by another bicyclist to her gated community and forced to return 45 minutes later. NOT 20 minutes! In her previous drunk driving incident … she was allowed to plead out to some sort of 'judgment before trial.' She's apparently a morally bankrupt individual who can pretend with the very best."
- From Randall Stewart: "If, in fact, she had a DUI, that was a matter of public record and was this recent, why was her nomination (to be bishop) allowed to go forward? From where I sit, the Standing Committee (board of directors of the diocese) if they had done their work (and unless the record was somehow sealed at the time) should never have allowed her (nomination) to go to a vote. I do not think it is too early to suggest that resignations might be in order."
Media wishing to interview Les Kinsolving, please contact [email protected].
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