Suspect arrested after hit-and-run crash in Wilmington
WILMINGTON - A suspect is under arrest after a woman was seriously injured in a hit-and-run crash in Wilmington Wednesday morning.
Wilmington police released photos of the car involved in the hit-and-run on Nichols Street just after 7:00 a.m.. A 64-year-old woman was walking with a friend and his dog when a car suddenly crossed the lane of traffic and jumped the sidewalk striking and seriously injuring her.
On Wednesday night, police located the vehicle in Billerica and arrested the alleged driver, Karen Haught. Police said she was arrested at her home after a tow truck driver recognized her damaged car from surveillance images shared by investigators.
"That's horrible you need to be responsible," said neighbor Deidre Pedato. "People need to pay attention and drive slower. It's a bad, bad section."
Police chief Joseph Desmond says the car carried the victim a distance on the hood and when she fell off the vehicle proceeded to leave the area. Police obtained photos from a nearby Ring camera and narrowed a vehicle of interest to a 2011-2016 Hyundai Elantra with a missing passenger side hubcap seen in the neighborhood just before impact.
The victim's husband doesn't have words for the driver who left his wife badly hurt on her morning walk.
"My background is being responsible for your actions, and I don't see that," the victim's husband said. "She has to wear a cervical collar because I guess there was some damage in her C1, C2."
The woman will have surgery Thursday. Her husband got emotional describing who she is. "She's a strong person and I think she'll come through this," he said.
They don't know if speeding or distracted driving are factors, but neighbors believe it's a horrible accident that was waiting to happen. "They come flying up here and the noise they make is ridiculous. They start at that corner and head to the bridge," said neighbor Dorothy Johns.
The fact the driver took off has angered residents. "I can't imagine what that situation is like and to not have anyone held accountable in the moment," said neighbor Vanessa Vandewark.
"We don't think there's any way they could drive and not know what took place. The sad part is they hurt the victim and just left the scene," said Chief Desmond.
WBZ-TV's Beth Germano and Juli McDonald contributed to this report.
