A Vermont man has been charged with child cruelty after he made his injured four-year-old and nine-year-old sons walk more than a mile down a snow-covered road instead of getting help after his SUV crashed into a utility pole.

He was officially charged with delaying their medical treatment for injuries that included concussions and broken bones.

It's unclear how or why the crash occurred; according to the AP, police received a report of an SUV hitting a utility pole on Nov. 12, but the car was gone by the time troopers reported.

Police say that the boys' father, Justin Galenski, made them walk to the home of a friend of Galenski, reportedly a registered nurse who was supposed to help him assess their injuries. But Galenski never followed up on medical treatment for his children.

Instead, the boys' mother called police the next day because she was concerned about her children's injuries — concussions, a broken arm, and a broken clavicle.

Galenski has been charged with child cruelty for delaying his children's medical treatment, and will appear in court next week.

He told the AP that he loves his children very much.

"I love these boys. The sun and moon rises with them with me. This was an accident. It was a horrible, horrible night. By no means did I mean to hurt my kids," he said.

[image via Shutterstock]