Crash into fire hydrant causes flood, closure of Veterans Memorial Highway, cops say

A car crashed into a fire hydrant Friday in Islandia, causing a flood and shutdown of Veterans Memorial Highway, Suffolk police said.

The car partially sank into a hole created when water spewed out of the hydrant, connected to a water main that runs down the center of Veterans Memorial Highway, said Tim Motz, spokesman for the Suffolk County Water Authority.

The driver then took off, he said.

The car, a Lexus, crashed just before 8:30 p.m. about 200 feet west of Sycamore Lane, authorities said.

Veterans Memorial Highway was shut there in both directions, but by 10:30 p.m., only the left lanes in both directions remained closed, police said.

Police said the car was abandoned and the driver nowhere to be found. The investigation is ongoing, police said.

Repair crews were at the scene late Friday, Motz said.

Correction: A previous version of this story was incorrect due to information provided by authorities. The driver was not found.