Bishop Suffragan Heather Elizabeth Cook has been charged with manslaughter and impaired driving following a vehicular death of a bicyclist in Maryland.
Thomas Palermo was riding his bicycle on Dec. 27, 2014, when he was truck and killed by a car, allegedly driven by Cook. He died of head trauma at a hospital.
The Bishop claims she was in shock following the accident and left the scene for 30 minutes before returning. She made a phone call to the Rev. Scott Slater, chief assistant to Diocesan Bishop Eugene Taylor Sutton.
"She said she thought she had hit a bicyclist and was in shock. When Slater arrived at the accident scene around 3:10 p.m. police crime scene tape was surrounding Cook's car and she was sitting in a patrol car. He immediately identified himself to an officer, provided his identification and business card. He told the officer that Cook had called him minutes before," the Episcopal Churches of Maryland reported.
The 58-year-old Cook surrendered to police on Jan. 9, and her bail was set at $2.5 million by a district court.
The death of the 41-year-old victim rose the ire of many people in the cycling community in Maryland and beyond. Some members of the public asked why authorities took so much time to bring charges against the Bishop.
Cook has ties to the church that go back for generations, which opened an independent investigation into the accident at the start of the year.
The bishop is currently on administrative leave from the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland, although she continues to receive pay and benefits, in accordance with standard practices of the church.
Cook faces up to 10 years in jail if convicted of the charge of manslaughter, as well as another 10 years for leaving the scene of the accident. Additional jail time could be imposed for driving under the influence of alcohol. The Bishop had a blood alcohol level of 0.22 when the accident occurred, and was texting on a cell phone.
"Most gracious God in heaven, be with Bishop Heather Cook and her family as they deal with the new and very painful reality of an accident and behavior that will change their lives forever. Be with the Palermo family as they grieve the sudden and tragic loss of a dear father, husband, and family member whose love and loss will forever be etched in their hearts," the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland stated on their Facebook page.
The Right Rev. Eugene Taylor Sutton, diocesan bishop of Maryland, led a closed door meeting of the local clergy to discuss what is known so far about the fatal incident.
A trial is set for Feb. 6.
