Two Pensacola girls were taken to a hospital Monday afternoon when they ran in front of and were struck by a car while crossing Ninth Avenue, according to the Pensacola Police Department.

Also, a man was arrested after he interfered with a paramedic who was working on one of the girls in the back of an ambulance.

The paramedic was also taken to a hospital after he fell out of the ambulance and received a head injury.

The incident occurred shortly before 4 p.m. at Ninth Avenue and Fairfield Drive.

Shinika Bell, 11, and Latoya Jones, 16, were taken to Sacred Heart where both were in stable condition, Ziaja said. Shinika was treated for a head injury and Latoya for a facial laceration.

Officer Theodore Ziaja said a car driven by Carlos Williams, 34, of 111 Pineda St., Pensacola, was northbound on Ninth Avenue and was approaching the traffic signal, which was red.

As he got closer to the traffic signal, the light turned green and the two girls ran in front of his car as they tried to cross Ninth Avenue from east to west.

Ziaja said a large truck was stopped at the light and the girls crossed in front of the truck and then ran in front of Williams car.

Williams, who was not hurt, was charged with driving with an expired tag.

Meanwhile, Officer Maria Landy said Prince Roderick Hardy, 25, of 206 Hart Drive, Pensacola, was arrested and charged with battery on an emergency medical care provider after he got into the back of an ambulance and struggled with a paramedic.

Landy said paramedic William Hopkins, 34, was working on Shinika in the back of the ambulance, and the back door to the vehicle was closed.

The ambulance was ready to leave the scene when Hardy opened the back door, according to the report.

Hopkins told Hardy he couldn?t enter the vehicle but he continued to get inside. Hardy then grabbed Hopkins by the arm, the two men struggled and the paramedic yelled for assistance, Landy said.

At that point, some firefighters and police officers ran to the ambulance and a Pensacola firefighter Marquette Oliver, 35 grabbed Hardy and pulled him from the back of the ambulance.

Landy said when that happened, Hardy was still holding onto Hopkins, who also was pulled out of the ambulance and hit his head on the tailboard of the vehicle, and then on the street.

Hopkins was taken to Sacred Heart Hospital for treatment of a head injury.

Landy said Hardy told officers he tried to get into the ambulance because Bell was his sister.