Maryland’s newly ordained first female Episcopal Bishop has been named as the driver in a fatal crash with a cyclist. The accident is being described in some media reports as a “hit-and-run.”
The 58-year-old Bishop Heather E. Cook, who was ordained in September as Bishop Suffragan, the second highest rank in the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland, was reportedly driving a Subaru station wagon when she ran over and killed 41-year-old Thomas Palermo. The victim was riding a bicycle on Roland Avenue in Baltimore at about 2:37 p.m., Saturday, two days after Christmas, when Cook hit and killed him.
Police and witnesses said Bishop Cook fled the scene in her car immediately after the crash, leaving the victim who was still alive, but seriously injured, without care. However, she returned to the scene of the crash about 20 minutes later.
In a pastoral letter to church officials, the Bishop of Maryland, Right Reverend Eugene Taylor Sutton, expressed “distress to announce that Bishop Heather E. Cook was involved in a traffic accident Saturday afternoon.”
“I am distressed to announce that Bishop Heather E. Cook was involved in a traffic accident Saturday afternoon, Dec. 27 that resulted in the death of a bicyclist, Thomas Palermo, 41. Bishop Cook did not sustain any injuries.
Damage To Cook’s Subaru
“Together with the Diocese of Maryland, I express my deep sorrow over the death of the cyclist and offer my condolences to the victim’s family. Please pray for Mr. Palermo, his family and Bishop Cook during this most difficult time.
“Several news organizations have reported this as a ‘hit and run.’ Bishop Cook did leave the scene initially, but returned after about 20 minutes to take responsibility for her actions.”
The victim, Palermo, well-known in the area as a cycling enthusiast and custom bike maker, was rushed to the Sinai Hospital where he died of his injuries. Another cyclist found him dying in the street on the 5700 block of Roland Avenue and called 911. According to a witness who spoke with the Baltimore Brew, Palermo was alive for several minutes after the accident.
“He was alive after it happened. She might have been able to help or call for help if she’d stayed on the scene.”
Thomas Palermo’s Bicycle
The Brew identifies Bishop Cook with Heather Elizabeth Cook, 4325 Cabin Creek-Hurlock Road, who, according to Maryland records, was pulled over by police in 2010 while driving in Caroline Country. She registered three times the legal limit on a breathalyzer. A nearly empty bottle of whiskey, a bottle of wine and a marijuana pipe were found in her car. One of her car tires was severely shredded and nearly falling off the rim at the time police pulled her over.
The authorities gave Cook a “probation without judgment” for the DUI charge, which, according to legal experts quoted by the Daily Mail, implies that “she can truthfully answer” in formal applications, such as job and insurance, “that [she has not] been convicted of a crime,” and that she can have the charge “expunged after successfully completing probation.”
It is not known whether she had been drinking at the time of the accident on Saturday. Photos of the scene of the accident snapped by witnesses show the windscreen and hood of Cook’s car damaged and Palermo’s bicycle mangled.
“Bishop Cook did leave the scene initially, but returned after about 20 minutes to take responsibility for her actions.”
A cyclists’ group in the Baltimore area, called Bikemore, has released a statement eulogizing Palermo as “a passionate bicycle builder, a father, and a friend.”
“Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Tom Palermo, who was killed while riding his bicycle on Roland Avenue. Tom was a passionate bicycle builder, a father, and a friend to many people who ride bicycles in Baltimore.
“While details of the crash are still emerging, we know the driver of the car involved initially fled the scene, leaving Tom to die on the street. It is clear that dedicated bicycle lanes were not enough to keep even an experienced bicycle rider safe. Bikemore will continue to advocate for Baltimore to follow the lead of other major cities and build physically-separated bicycle infrastructure to protect the growing number of people who ride bicycles for transportation and recreation.”
Cook has not spoken to the media since the incident, but the Right Rev. Sutton said that “because the nature of the accident could result in criminal charges,” she has been placed on administrative leave while police investigations continue.
“There is an ongoing police investigation into the accident. I will meet shortly with the Standing Committee to discuss ways we can move forward.”
According to the Brew, Cook, the first female bishop in the Maryland diocese, was ordained to the priesthood in 1988 and has served as a “school chaplain; rector of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in York, Pa. and canon to the ordinary in the Diocese of Easton on the Eastern Shore.”
