Heather Cook, the woman bishop in the second-highest position in Episcopal Diocese of Maryland, has been indicted by a Baltimore grand jury on 13 charges related to the fatal hit-and-run that killed a cyclist.
Cook was indicted on 13 counts alleging that she struck Thomas Palermo, a 41-year-old married father of two, on Dec. 27, then fled the scene, according to The Associated Press.
Police said her blood-alcohol content was .22 not long after the crash; nearly three times the legal limit of .08 in Maryland.
The charges she was indicted on are as follows:
- Automobile Manslaughter
- Manslaughter by vehicle or vessel – criminally negligent homicide
- Homicide by motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, per se
- Homicide by motor vehicle while impaired
- Failure to stop the vehicle as close as possible to the scene of the accident & failure to remain at scene of the accident that might result in death
- Failure to stop the vehicle as close as possible to the scene of the accident & failure to remain at scene of the accident that might result in serious bodily injury
- Driving while under the influence of alcohol
- Driving while under the influence of alcohol, per se
- Driving while impaired
- Texting while driving during an accident that results in death or serious bodily injury
- Texting while driving
- Reckless driving
- Negligent driving
Cook was consecrated in September as bishop suffragan, despite reports of alcohol problems and a 2010 DUI. The church has put her on leave and is investigating her conduct.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.