Hit-and-run bishop's mercy line

O'Brien admits blame for the accident

A former Roman Catholic bishop found guilty of a fatal hit-and-run incident has set up a helpline for injured people as part of his probation.

Thomas O'Brien, the former bishop of Phoenix, Arizona, was ordered to do 1,000 hours of community service and banned from driving for five years.

He was found guilty in February of leaving the scene of an accident after running down Jim Reed, 43, in his car.

The helpline has taken dozens of calls since opening on Monday.

Staff at the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix said the court had agreed that the helpline was a suitable way of Mr O'Brien fulfilling his community service.

Providing comfort

Judge Stephen A Gerst said it should take the form of "directly visiting and providing comfort to the severely injured and dying", including people in emergency rooms, Aids clinics, cancer wards and psychiatric hospitals.

"The phones have been ringing constantly," a diocese spokeswoman said. "We've been recording messages and will get back to the people who called."

Mr O'Brien is not obliged to comply with every request, but "he will get to as many as is humanly possible", said spokeswoman Mary Jo West.

'I'm to blame'

The former bishop had claimed in court that he did not realise he had run over a man.

He said he thought he had hit a dog at the time, but has accepted blame and apologised to Mr Reed's family.

He said: "I know there is no one to blame for this but me."

The case has ended his 21-year-career in the diocese.