NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. — New Port Richey police said surveillance video shows Amy Lee Kidd talking to her 9-year-old child through the driver’s side window of her KIA Wednesday evening around 830 pm.
Police said she was giving driving tips so the child could back the SUV out of the parking space.
But suddenly, the SUV takes off in reverse, dragging the mom who then gets tossed to the pavement.
And the KIA crashes into the backside of an office building located on Grand Avenue.
“Obviously unacceptable behavior for a parent. It’s dangerous. If there were other people in the area that could have been really bad. People could have been hurt or even killed,” said New Port Richey Police Chief Robert Kochen.
The office that got hit just happens to belong to the mayor of New Port Richey, Rob Marlowe.
It’s where he has a computer networking business.
“It was a little frightening particularly when I saw the video,” Marlowe said.
Police arrested the mother on charges of child neglect.
They say she had just taken her child for pizza and ice cream nearby.
“That could have been really bad. I have a 9-year-old granddaughter. That’s scary. Somebody could have been hurt,” said Marlowe.
Police said the mom told them she let her daughter drive because the car parked next to them was too close, and she couldn’t get into the driver's seat.
