ST. PAUL — A father has been charged with crashing a van, then leaving his injured daughters behind as he fled the scene.

The Ramsey County attorney’s office filed eight felony counts Wednesday against 45-year-old Earl Lionell Ward. Ward has spent most of the last two decades in prison and warrants were out for his arrest.

Ward was barred from having contact with the girls’ mother, Della Svenningsen, but they had all gone to a drive-in movie theater together Monday night. The crash happened early Tuesday in St. Paul.

The 14-year-old girl suffered a broken neck. The 8-year-old had a broken leg and severed artery.

Svenningsen later told police that Ward had been drinking alcohol during the movie and was intoxicated.

He was arrested Tuesday night.