Bishop O'Brien arrested in fatal hit-and-run
Mark Henle/The Arizona Republic
Dennis Wagner and Judd Slivka
The Arizona Republic
Jun. 16, 2003 01:55 PM
After more than four hours of questioning, Phoenix police this afternoon arrested Bishop Thomas O'Brien in the fatal hit-and-run of a pedestrian this weekend.
Shortly after 1:30 p.m., the bishop left in a plain-clothes police car. Police said he was under arrest and being booked on a count of leaving the scene of a fatal accident, a Class 4 felony. He's expected to be arraigned later Monday.
O'Brien is accused of hitting and killing a 43-year-old pedestrian as the man was jaywalking across Glendale Avenue near 19th Avenue, authorities said.
The pedestrian, Jim L. Reed, was pronounced dead at John C. Lincoln Hospital-North Mountain folowing the accident, which occurred about 8:35 p.m.
A Phoenix police spokeswoman said two cars struck Reed, the first identified by witnesses as a four-door, tan Buick Park Avenue. The car was later traced to O'Brien, said the spokeswoman, Sgt. Lauri Williams.
The drivers of both vehicles fled.
During police questioning, O'Brien told investigators that he was the only person with keys to the Buick and that he was driving in the area Saturday night following a church mass in Buckeye.
According to Williams, the bishop said "he was driving the vehicle (Saturday night) and he might have hit something, but we don't know more."
The right front end and windshield of O'Brien's car sustained damage. Police took away the Park Avenue on a flat-bed truck as evidence.
O'Brien recently avoided possible criminal prosecution for obstruction of justice in connection with alleged sexual misconduct by Catholic priests in Arizona during the past two decades. He has been beleagured by calls for his resignation because of that scandal.
Police said O'Brien, who has a perfect driving record in the past 10 years, is cooperating with the fatality investigation, authorities said, and some details of the accident remain sketchy.
On Monday afternoon, Richard Moyer, vigar of the Diocese of Phoenix, issued a statement: "I sincerely regret reports I've received about Bishop O'Brien being involved in a fatal accident. The sympathies of all of us at the Diocese of Phoenix as well as our prayerful support go out to the victim's family. The Diocese will cooperate fully in any police investigation. No further statement will be made while the investigation proceeds."
A police search warrant has been served at O'Brien's house in north-central Phoenix.
Greg Leisse, in-house consul for the diocese, said after meeting with the bishop Monday at his house, "He seems upset, but he seems well." He didn't elaborate.
Leisse also said that the church is "trying to find out what happened and see what, if anything, the diocese needs to do so we can do the right thing."
Police are still trying to track down the second vehicle.
Please return for updates later.
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