Maryland's first female Episcopal bishop exposed as hit-and-run driver 'who killed young father

The Daily Mail UK ^ | December 29, 2014 | By Josh Gardner

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Maryland's newly ordained first female Episcopal bishop fatally crashed into and killed a bicyclist before fleeing just two days after the Christmas holiday.

Police on Saturday said a 58-year-old female motorist drove away from a scene of mangled metal beside a fatally injured man taking his final breaths--41-year-old father and custom bike maker Tom Palermo.

A letter from the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland revealed Sunday that it was their No. 2 leader, Bishop Heather Cook, who disappeared from the fatal crash before finally returning to take responsibility.

Meanwhile, photos from the scene can attest there was no way Cook could have kept hidden for long the evidence her Subaru had been in a serious collision.

Witness Jason La Canfora, a CBS reporter who covers the NFL, described to the Baltimore Sun the collision and resulting damages as 'a massive impact.'

Half the vehicle's windshield and hood bear deep, fractured indentions from Palermo's body.

'Bishop Cook did leave the scene initially, but returned after about 20 minutes to take responsibility for her actions,' Right Rev. Eugene Taylor Sutton wrote Sunday in a letter addressed to the Clergy of the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland that was obtained by the Baltimore Brew.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Bishop Heather Cook at her ordination last September. - Photo by: Richard Schori

........."UPDATE: Replying on behalf of Sutton, Sharon Tillman, director of communications for the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland, said tonight that Sutton’s comments are all they are releasing at this time.

The Brew asked Tillman if Bishop Cook is the same Heather Elizabeth Cook, 4325 Cabin Creek Road, arrested in September 2010 on drinking, driving and drug charges in Caroline County, according to this local media coverage and online court records.

The drug charges were dropped (“nolle prosequi”) in January 2012 by the Caroline County state’s attorney’s office, online records show. She received “probation before judgement” for the DUI charge.

Tillman said she could not comment and referred us to Cook’s personal attorney, but could not provide the attorney’s name. (A religious publishing website lists 4325 Cabin Creek-Hurlock Road as the canonical residence of Heather E. Cook.)....... Baltimore Brew

[sauropod]

Sad.

Prayers up for the Palermo family.

[Cronos]

So the Episscopers are using beer instead of wine?

[WVKayaker]

The Brew asked Tillman if Bishop Cook is the same Heather Elizabeth Cook, 4325 Cabin Creek Road, arrested in September 2010 on drinking, driving and drug charges in Caroline County, according to this local media coverage and online court records.

They don't call them "whiskeypalians" for nothing! (Disclaimer: I was raised Episcopal, and my father was ordained at age 62 into the Priesthood. My Grandfather and three of his brothers were Episcopal Priests!

I got out long before it became the haunt of queers and women priests...

[Blue Jays]

Very tragic and sad news for Tom Palermo and his grieving family.
Driving drunk, drugged, or otherwise distracted is a terrible thing.
Rest In Peace, Tom.

[AppyPappy]

How inconvenient for her and the church.

[SunkenCiv]

“Wherever four Episcopalians are gathered, there is sure to be a fifth.” — old joke

[Tax-chick]

Maryland's newly ordained first female Episcopal bishop fatally crashed into and killed a bicyclist before fleeing just two days after the Christmas holiday.

There are so many things wrong with this sentence, but I think the dainty redundancy of "fatally crashed into and killed" is the cutest part.

[RFEngineer]

female Episcopal clergy + “Subaru”

Poor SOB didn’t understand that he needs to get out of the drunken dyke’s way.

[raybbr]

Oh, goody. A “bash the Episcopalians” thread. FR will be in “heaven” over this.

[newnhdad]

I thought she would have been Lesbyterian.

[jocon307]

This is a sad story, but that is a funny joke which I’ve never heard before.

I take it that it is not known at this time if she was intoxicated in this latest incident?

My kid lives in MD and I think the bike lanes they have down there are terrible. Maybe there is no way to make them better (and I’ve actually never seen anyone using them!). But in many cases you’d have to drive into that lane to exit the roadway, you really have to be aware - drivers and riders.

[Gaffer]

I don’t really want to bash her religion. I’m more interested in the circumstances of this year’s accident (which are sparse, IMO) and whether alcohol or drugs were involved and how the accident occurred. The 2010 stuff is good background, but isn’t a substitute for specificity in this event.

[BykrBayb]

Not only that, but it was deadly too.

[Sooth2222]

In September 2010, nearly four years to the day before she'd become Maryland's first female Episcopal bishop, Cook was pulled over in Caroline County.

Police at the time said she blew a BAC of .27, or over three times the legal limit, when given a breathalyzer.

In her car, police said they found a bottle of whiskey, a bottle of wine, and a marijuana pipe reported MyEasternShoreMD.com.

Officers also said one of Cook's tires had somehow become shredded.

However, records show that by January 2012 the drug charges were dropped.

Cook received 'probation without judgement' for the DUI charge.

[BykrBayb]

There’s nothing that could be said which would put the episcopal church on the losing end of this particular bash.

[Tax-chick]

Extremely deadly. The poor man, this is so sad for his family. I wondered if he’d been riding at night, but the article - a delightful word-salad all through - said it was midday.

[SunkenCiv]

It is sad. No evidence (yet), but hit-and-run mitigates in favor of drunk driving — or murder one, if the dead person is someone she had a grudge with.

[SES1066]

Since this is coming from the UK's "Daily Mail", I wonder if the Baltimore Sun has anything to say on the incident? It does appear that they joined the news cycle when the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland released its Sunday night statement about the Saturday fatal auto-bike accident.

As a former Episcopalian, now Anglican, and an inveterate bicyclist, I have interest in both directions. EVERY religious body has people who have done wrong and leaving the scene of the accident deeply betrays her sworn duty to comfort the dying! If she is truly within her faith, this failure will and SHOULD haunt her forever!

As a cyclist, I am forever aware that my cycling puts me at risk when sharing the roads with heavy vehicles moving at speed. Like gravity, Newton's 2nd Law of F=M x A, is not an optional law.

My sincerest prayers to the family of Tom Palermo.

[dennisw]

Prolly has a wife (phoney baloney gay marriage)