Arizona Bishop's Excuse for Leaving Scene of Fatal Accident

"I wouldn't know how to call the police, except 911," O'Brien told Phoenix police Sgt. Steve Fullerton. "I wouldn't know how to call the police, what the number is, so I wouldn't know where to start."

O'Brien, 68 is charged with striking a pedestrian and leaving the scene of a fatal accident on a central Phoenix street last June. His attorneys acknowledge he hit and killed the pedestrian... left the scene and never notified police. They say he's innocent because he never knew he hit a person. He's believed to be the highest-ranking U.S. Roman Catholic leader to stand trial on felony charges.

The victim was 43-year-old Jim L. Reed, weighing 250lbs. One witness testified that O'Brien never even slowed down. Reed landed on the hood of O'Brien's car and his head and shoulder shattered the windshield. "It was a very violent impact, with what sounded like a thunderclap, the windshield literally exploded. The car that hit him went by us real fast and picked up speed, I never seen something like that before."

How could he not know he'd hit a 250lb. man? Was he driving a Sherman tank? Witnesses testified that the vehicle accelerated after Reed's body shattered the windshield. O'Brien took the stand and claimed he thought it may have been either a rock or a dog. He says that he didn't even feel a bump and it was very dark out. I'm one of those people that have a soft spot for stray animals. I can't imagine hitting a dog with my car (or thinking I had) and not stopping to do what I could to relieve its agony, much less a human being. Speeding away wouldn't be an option.

I was raised in a Catholic home and attended parochial schools. When the nuns taught religion, reading the Bible was part of the curriculum. I distinctly remember something about God granting Adam dominion over the animals of the earth. I've always interpreted that to mean we're their custodians. If their suffering can be eased we must see to it.

At the risk of over simplifying things, let's consider the Bible a handbook for those who have taken the cloth; the rules from A-Z, if you will. One would hope a bishop would be familiar with the basics. Apparently O'Brien needed to brush-up on several of the fundamentals. Stopping his car after he thought he'd hit a dog was one of them.

Authorities asked why he hadn't immediately contacted police after learning he was wanted for questioning in connection w/ a hit-and-run fatality.
O'Brien stated, "I wouldn't know how to call the police, except 911. I wouldn't know how to call the police, what the number is, so I wouldn't know where to start."

February 11, 2007
Co-prosecutor Mitch Rand tripped-up O'Brien at the end of a brilliant 2 hour plus cross examination
He asked O'Brien if someone vandalized his vehicle (by throwing that 'rock') would he call the police to report it.
O'Brien answered that he hadn't felt it was necessary.
Rand then brought up a police report the bishop filed about a minor act of vandalism at his home.
"Do you remember that?" Rand asked.
O'Brien said vaguely and told the prosecutor he thought it probably happened about 15 years ago.
No, Rand replied, it happened in 2001.

Rand then told jurors that O'Brien called police to report some lights in his yard had been stolen or damaged. In fact, the prosecutor said, O'Brien called two times because officers failed to respond to the first call.
"I don't have any specific memory about calling the police about that," O'Brien said.

Upon discovering he was wanted for questioning, he had his assistant make arrangements to have his windshield replaced ASAP. O'Brien should have had his assistant call police before worrying about replacing his windshield; investigators might get the wrong impression and think the he was trying to destroy evidence. O'Brien isn't an innocent, telephone operationally challenged man after all.

O'Brien faces up to 45 months in prison if convicted.