Dr. Sarah Mullican booked, released on bond in Mountain Brook crash that killed daughter Annabelle
A Mountain Brook doctor charged in the traffic crash death of her 10-year-old daughter while she was allegedly fleeing police was booked into the Jefferson County Jail and released on bond this morning.
Sarah Kathleen Cumbest Mullican, an anesthesiologist, is charged with reckless manslaughter and felony attempting to elude in the July 22 death of daughter Annabelle Mullican.
Mullican surrendered to the Jefferson County Jail at 6:50 a.m. Friday and was released at 7:56 a.m. after posting $45,000 bond.
Here is full coverage of the case
She is represented by attorneys Tommy Spina, Brett Bloomston and Ben Preston.
“Warrants have been served, bond has been made and we now begin the next steps in the criminal justice process,’’ Spina said.
Mountain Brook police announced the charges against her on Sept. 6 after the warrants were issued by the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office.
“We are grateful and appreciative of the cooperation of the Mountain Brook Police Department, the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office in allowing for Mrs. Mullican’s voluntary surrender on her arrest warrants,’’ Spina said.
“The fact that this is a criminal case does not diminish the devastating effect that this tragedy has had and will continue to have on this family and the community,’’ he said. “We continue to ask for your prayers as we navigate through these exceptionally difficult, multi-layered times.”
The crash happened about 5:30 p.m. Saturday, July 22, on Cherokee Road in Mountain Brook.
According to a police report, an officer was parked in the driveway of a residence on Old Leeds Road when he saw a white Toyota Highlander coming towards him traveling from Crosshill Road on Old Leeds Road at a high rate of speed.
The officer clocked Mullican with his radar driving 47 mph in a 30- mph zone.
The officer followed the SUV and saw it swerve out of its lane several times, the report states.
It then turned left onto Cherokee Road, nearly striking a vehicle that it turned in front of, the report states.
The officer then activated his emergency equipment and attempted to conduct a traffic stop.
The officer saw the driver throw a cup out the window along with another unidentified object in the 3500 block of Cherokee Road, police have said.
“The vehicle appeared to accelerate after (the officer) turned his lights and siren on,’’ the report states.
The SUV then “negotiated” the curve as the roadway curved to the right. As the roadway curved back to the left, the vehicle ran off the right side of the roadway.
It then struck several trees and overturned before coming to a stop in the ditch on the right side of the road.
The crash was recorded on the officer’s dash cam.
It showed that when the SUV ran off the right side of the road, the passenger’s side of the vehicle struck a tree. The vehicle began spinning before it struck another tree on the passenger’s side.
The vehicle then spun around and overturned as it struck another tree while sliding further down the ditch, according to the report.
The SUV then hit a fourth tree with its front bumper before coming to a stop while it was still overturned.
Mullican had several abrasions on her arms and legs. She was treated by Mountain Brook Fire on the scene and released.
Callie Mullican, 8, also sustained abrasions on her arms and legs. Police believe she was seated in the passenger’s side backseat, with her seatbelt locked in place, records state.
She was taken to Children’s of Alabama.
Annabelle was seated in the driver’s side back seat. Her seat belt was not locked in place “indicating that she was not wearing her seatbelt,’’ according to the report.
“Annabelle had a major head injury and was unresponsive at the scene,’’ the officer wrote.
She was taken to Children’s of Alabama where she was pronounced dead at 6:20 p.m. The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office told police Annabelle’s fatal injuries included a skull fracture.
The report says Dr. Mullican was taken by police to Children’s of Alabama.
A search warrant for Dr. Mullican’s blood and saliva was later carried out at Brookwood Baptist Medical Center.
Dr. Mullican was admitted to Brookwood hospital for a psychiatric evaluation and issued a traffic citation by police for reckless driving.
The results of the toxicology report have not yet been released.
Annabelle was bright, loving and a joy to be around,’’ Canterbury United Methodist Church posted on Facebook. “Our hearts break alongside the Mullican family’s as they grieve Annabelle’s passing.”