SUV shears hydrant, is swallowed by sinkhole in Downey

Authorities say an SUV knocked over a fire hydrant and damaged a water main, unleashing a torrent that caused a sinkhole on a Downey street.

Photos from the scene show parts of the street, sidewalk and private driveway collapsed into a crater of water more than 20 feet across.

Police say a woman driving the SUV swerved to avoid an oncoming car and struck a utility pole and the hydrant late Saturday.

Officials say crews couldn’t turn off the water for hours, causing the ground around the burst pipe to give way. The sinkhole eventually swallowed the SUV. The driver was not inside. No injuries were reported.

Electricity and water service in the neighborhood were knocked out for more than a day.