CARMEL, Ind. -- A car broke a water main by running into a fire hydrant on 131st Street on Wednesday morning, causing a sinkhole in which the vehicle was nearly submerged within minutes, the city said.

The vehicle's 19-year-old driver apparently fell asleep at the wheel just before the crash at 7 a.m., according to Carmel police. The impact damaged a connection between the hydrant and a water main, causing water to gush out wash away some of the land underneath the vehicle.

---

Slideshow: Sinkhole Nearly Swallows Car After Fire-Hydrant Crash

---

The car eventually sank into a water-filled hole created by the break, and the road near the wreck site was flooded.

The flooding prompted a closure of 131st Street from the crash site -- east of Hazel Dell Parkway -- to Inlow Park, the city said. Workers were trying to make repairs Wednesday afternoon, and the city hoped to have the road ready in the evening.

The driver exited the car before it sank and was not injured, Carmel police said.

In terms of water service, only Inlow Park was believed to be affected by the break, according to the city.