St. Paul police are asking for the public's help in finding a father who got into a car accident early Tuesday and then fled the scene, reportedly leaving his injured children in the vehicle.

Shortly after 3:20 a.m. Tuesday, police responded to a single-car accident at Hazel Street and Mechanic Avenue, St. Paul police spokesman Sgt. Paul Paulos said.

Witnesses reported hearing screaming coming from a van that was stuck in a construction hole in the street. The hole was a few inches deep at a spot in the road that had been removed, Paulos said.

When officers arrived at the scene, they found two injured children, ages 8 and 14, inside the vehicle, Paulos said.

The children were taken to Regions Hospital in downtown St. Paul with noncritical injuries. They remained hospitalized as of Tuesday afternoon.

Their father, who was nowhere to be found, has been identified by police as Earl Lionell Ward, 45, of St. Paul. He has been known to frequent Minneapolis and Brooklyn Center.

He has a felony warrant for his arrest out of Hennepin County for a domestic incident, Paulos said.

Anyone with information about Ward's whereabouts should call the St. Paul police traffic unit at 651-266-5729.

NICOLE NORFLEET