Bishop Is Charged in Fatal Hit-Run Collision
The Roman Catholic bishop of Phoenix was formally charged with leaving the scene of a fatal accident by the same prosecutor who struck a deal with the church leader that allowed him to avoid indictment for sheltering molesters in the clergy.
Bishop Thomas O’Brien, 67, could be sentenced to more than three years in prison if he is convicted, Maricopa County Atty. Rick Romley said.
Police said that O’Brien thought he had hit a dog or cat, or that a rock had struck his vehicle. But investigators said his account appeared to be dubious because the victim, Jim Reed, was 6 feet tall and weighed 235 pounds.
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