A man left a seven-year-old girl on a street median after he fled two DUI crashes, deputies said.
Grant Mulder, 41, was arrested in Madeira Beach, Fla., after he struck a telephone pole, left the scene, left the girl on the median, hit two cars and left that scene, according to a Pinellas County Sheriff's Office news release.
Deputies first responded to the telephone pole crash at 131st Avenue and Pelican Lane, officials said. Witnesses told deputies that the airbag to Mulder's Toyota 4Runner went off, hitting the child. When witnesses tried to help the girl out of the car, Mulder drove away with the girl still inside, the release said.
Man Stole Car with Toddler in Backseat: Fort Myers Police
Mulder then drove to Duhme Road and the Tom Stuart Causeway, where the girl got out of the SUV onto a median, and he left her there, the release said.
After leaving the girl, Mulder headed north on 113th Street where he tried to pass between two cars stopped side by side at a light at Park Boulevard, but instead hit them, according to authorities. Mulder backed up, went around the cars and continued north on 113th, the release said.
The two drivers, 18-year-old Zachary Barrett and 21-year-old Rebekah Trout, were treated on scene for minor injuries and taken to nearby hospitals for further treatment, according to the release.
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
Florida Burglar Left Joker Calling Card: Cops
Mulder was arrested after conducting a traffic stop on 113th Street and Ulmerton Road. When he was placed in the deputy's car, he tried to kick out the windows, the release said.
Mulder was charged with leaving the scene of a crash with property damage, child abuse, leaving the scene of a crash with injuries, driving under the influence and driving with a suspended or revoked license. He was released from the Pinellas County Jail on $16,750 bond.
Officials said the seven-year-old girl is known to Mulder, but are not releasing any other information that would identify her.
More South Florida Stories: