A muddy sinkhole swallowed up the front half of a Prius in West Long Beach Wednesday morning after the car smashed into a fire hydrant around 6:15 a.m., according to authorities.

The crash happened at the corner of Santa Fe Avenue and 29th Street where the car ended up on top of the hydrant, causing a stream of water to gush into the ground, Long Beach Fire Department Battalion Chief Aaron Miles said.

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Crews shut off the water after about an hour and winching the Prius out of the hole, Miles said. At one point, the cable being used to drag the car violently snapped off, prompting the tow truck driver to switch to a heavy chain attachment.

The Prius’ driver walked away from the crash unharmed, and no other cars were involved, Miles said. But the gushing water caused some significant flooding in the neighborhood, leaving muddy puddles in the street around some nearby homes and businesses.

“Obviously there’s going to be a little bit of water damage here,” Miles said.

Police didn’t immediately have information available about what caused the driver to crash.

Crews dragged the Prius out of the sinkhole caused by the gushing fire hydrant at Santa Fe Avenue and 29th Street in West Long Beach on Wednesday, June 20, 2018. (Staff Photos by Jeremiah Dobruck)