Woman charged with DWI in crash that injured off-duty Haverhill police officer running for mayor
May 27—Police said a Haverhill woman was driving drunk when she caused a crash that injured an off-duty Haverhill police officer who was in his personal vehicle.
Officer Guy Cooper, who announced several weeks ago that he is running for mayor, was injured in the crash. The collision happened when the woman drove her SUV in front of Cooper's pickup truck, a witness told police.
Cooper is a veteran Haverhill officer who is well known locally for his success in landing acting roles in movies including "The Equalizer" and "Spotlight."
Police charged Kathleen Curry, 48, of 25 Glenview Road with operating under the influence of alcohol, negligent operation and failure to yield at an intersection.
Curry was arrested Friday night of last week on Broadway by Officer Katelyn Tully and arraigned on the charges last Tuesday in Haverhill District Court. Judge Cesar Archilla released Curry on personal recognizance and scheduled a pretrial hearing for June 23.
According to a police report on file in Haverhill District Court, last Friday at 8:21 p.m. Tully was dispatched to Broadway for a motor vehicle accident.
A police report said a 2021 Range Rover that Curry was driving crashed into a stop sign at the intersection of Broadway and Lowell Avenue. A 2017 Ford F-250 pickup truck driven by Cooper then collided with the right passenger side of the Range Rover, according to the report.
A witness driving behind Cooper told police that the Range Rover cut in front of Cooper's pickup truck, leaving Cooper no time to stop, according to the report.
The report said that following the crash, Curry appeared to be "extremely unbalanced" and was slurring her words. She told police she was driving north on Broadway and had no idea how she swerved her vehicle and crashed, the report said.
Curry was taken to Holy Family Hospital in Haverhill for evaluation after the crash, according to the report. Cooper complained of back pain and was taken to Lawrence General Hospital to be treated, the report said.
When asked where she was coming from prior to the crash, Curry said she was on her way home from eating at the Hidden Pig Restaurant on downtown Washington Street, according to the report. She told police she had been drinking, the report said.
At the hospital, Curry told the doctor evaluating her that she drank five beers between noon and 7 p.m., the report said. She also told police she was at Pica's Pub and Grill in Methuen from noon to 5 p.m., then was at the Hidden Pig until about 8 p.m., the report said.
After being discharged from the hospital, Curry submitted to field sobriety tests in front of the hospital's main entrance, according to the police report. After she failed some parts of the tests, officers charged her with operating under the influence of alcohol, the report said.
While officers booked her at the police station, Curry submitted to a breathalyzer test, which showed a blood alcohol level of .17% — more than twice the .08% legal limit, police said.
In an interview with police, Cooper said he was driving south on Broadway when a Range Rover driving north at a high rate of speed approached another vehicle that was stopped and appeared to be waiting to bear left onto Lowell Avenue, according to the police report. Cooper said the Range Rover swerved to the right of the stopped vehicle and then crossed in front of it, resulting in the crash, according to the report.
Both the Range Rover and pickup truck received heavy damage and were towed from the scene, police said.
