Driver charged in Wilmington hit-and-run crash, victim undergoes surgery

WILMINGTON - The woman who was seriously hurt in a horrific hit-and-run crash in Wilmington had a 6-hour surgery on her legs Thursday.

Cathy Peters was walking on Nichols Street around 7 a.m. Wednesday when she was hit by car, thrown onto its hood, carried for a short distance and then fell off. The driver, later identified by police as 52-year-old Karen Haught, sped away.

Peters was rushed to the hospital where she spent the night with broken legs and an injured neck. Her husband told WBZ-TV she was having the surgery on her legs Thursday. She also has an injured back.

Police released surveillance images of the car Wednesday and it generated several tips. They said one led them to a 2014 Hyundai Elantra that had "damage consistent with a crash involving a pedestrian."

A short time later, they arrested Haught at her home in Billerica. She was arraigned Thursday in Woburn District Court on several charges, including leaving the scene of a crash and driving with a revoked license.

At the arraignment, the judge said Haught is a frequent traffic offender. The judge revoked Haught's bail for an earlier arrest and ordered the Billerica woman to be held in jail for 90 days.

"I am proud of the incredible work done by the members of my Department with help by the community. We know this arrest cannot take away the physical and emotional pain of the victim and her family, but we hope it can help by holding someone accountable for what never should have happened." Wilmington Police Chief Joseph Desmond said in a statement Thursday.