Bishop to be charged with vehicular manslaughter, DUI in hit-and-run that killed bicyclist
Posted Jan 9, 2015 9:36 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
BALTIMORE – Baltimore’s top prosecutor says an Episcopal church bishop will be charged with vehicular manslaughter, drunken driving and other counts in a hit-and-run crash that killed a bicyclist.
Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby says the charges will be filed Friday and an arrest warrant will be issued for Bishop Suffragan Heather Cook, the second-highest leader of the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland.
Mosby says Cook’s blood-alcohol level was at .22 after the crash, nearly triple Maryland’s legal limit for driving.
Cook’s vehicle hit 41-year-old bicyclist Tom Palermo on a sunny Saturday afternoon two weeks ago. Palermo, a father of two, died of head injuries.
Officials say Cook left the scene of the crash for about 20 minutes before returning.
The national Episcopal Church began disciplinary proceedings late last week against Cook.
