Episcopal Bishop Charged With Manslaughter in Fatal Baltimore Bike Crash
The Episcopal bishop who allegedly killed cyclist Thomas Palermo in a hit-and-run last month will be be charged with manslaughter. Heather Cook, the second-highest leader of the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland, will also face charges of leaving the scene of a fatal accident, driving under the influence, and causing an accident due to texting while driving.
A warrant has been issued for Cook's arrest, Baltimore State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby announced today; if convicted, she faces 10 years in prison for both the manslaughter and leaving the scene charges.
Cook allegedly collided with Palmero on December 27 in Baltimore's Roland Park neighborhood. The bishop reportedly fled the scene only to return 20 minutes later; police said her blood-alcohol level was .22 after the wreck, nearly three times Maryland's limit.
Moncure Lyon, 65, of Baltimore, said he was just finishing up a bike ride when he came upon Palermo lying in the street in a semi-fetal position, his head on the curb. As other passers-by called 911, Lyon went looking for the car, based on other witnesses' descriptions. He found it about 100 yards away at a light, he said.
"The windshield was completely smashed in, with a hole on the passenger side, and from the damage of the car, there was no doubt in my mind that was the car," he said. "I asked the lady who was driving, 'Are you all right?' Then the light turned green, she said 'Yes,' and she left."
When he returned to the scene, he saw the woman there as well, talking to a police officer.
This isn't the first time Cook's been accused of driving under the influence. In 2010, she was arrested after police found her driving 29 mph in a 50-mph-zone with a shredded front tire on the shoulder of a highway. Police said Cook smelled like booze and had vomit on the front of her shirt; a search of the car turned up wine, a bottle of liquor, two bags of weed, and paraphernalia. Cook was reportedly so intoxicated that she couldn't complete her sobriety test because of concern that she'd injure herself. She later pleaded guilty to drunken driving, and the drug charges were dropped.
According to the Baltimore Sun, Cook's previous DUI conviction was not revealed to the Episcopal Church before she was elected bishop in May. Episcopal officials opened an investigation into Cook last week to see if her accident also violated church law.