Diocese: Maryland Bishop Responsible For Fatal Hit-And-Run

BALTIMORE (AP) — The Episcopal Church of Maryland says its first female bishop was the driver in a hit-and-runcrash that killed a bicyclist in Baltimore.

Diocese spokeswoman Sharon Tillman confirmed Monday that Bishop Suffragan Heather Cook was the driver in the Saturday afternoon crash in which 41-year-old Tom Palermo was killed.

On Monday, a small makeshift memorial sat by the roadside where Palermo was killed. The road included a designated bike lane.

Neither Cook nor her attorney, David Irwin, responded to emails and calls for comment Monday.

In an email Sunday, diocese Bishop Eugene Sutton told clergy members that Cook initially left the scene but returned about 20 minutes later “to take responsibility for her actions.”

He says Cook is on administrative leave from the diocese’s No. 2 spot.

It’s unclear whether she’ll face charges.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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  1. It was more like a hit and panic. She returned to the scene after (1) she came to her senses or (2) talked to her lawyer. Either way, in the end she did the right thing and returned to the scene.

  2. Avatar for dnl dnl says:

    She left the scene…

    Thought about it for 20 minutes.

    Came back…

    A delayed ‘good Samaritan’ response is better than no response, I guess.

  3. True that. But is there an excuse for all bold font, all of the time?

  4. Twenty minutes to wrestle with ones conscience and decide to take responsibility for a felony is a pretty good time for a bishop. She must be relatively new.

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