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RALEIGH A Wake County doctor voluntarily surrendered his medical license and resigned from his job Tuesday as he faced a more serious charge of second-degree murder in the death of a 20-year-old ballerina.
The N.C. Medical Board, which licenses all doctors in the state, posted the surrender letter from Dr. Raymond Cook on its Web site.
He also resigned from his faculty position at UNC School of Medicine and his employment with WakeMed Facial Plastic Surgery.
Cook, who had been a plastic and reconstructive surgeon, turned himself in Tuesday on new charges of second-degree murder after he was accused of driving drunk Friday night and causing a wreck that left a Triangle ballerina dead.
Cook, a Raleigh resident, previously faced charges of felony death by vehicle and driving while impaired.
Cook, who was wearing a dark blue golf shirt and khaki-colored pants as he turned himself in before a Wake County magistrate, was given a bond of $2 million and booked into a holding cell.
District Court Judge Jane Gray lowered bond to $250,000.
Police say Cook's car, traveling about 85 mph in a 45 zone, struck a car driven by Elena Bright Shapiro, 20, a Winston-Salem native who was a trainee with Carolina Ballet in Raleigh.
Court documents describe Cook as having “bloodshot” and “glassy” eyes, smelling of alcohol, swaying and having slurred speech shortly after the incident. The results of a blood alcohol test were not available Monday.
