Traffic was shut down on part of Frankstown Road in Penn Hills, where an accident this morning escalated into a mild calamity in front of the municipal police station.

Police Chief Howard Burton said the crash, reported about 4 a.m. in the 12,000 block of Frankstown Road, caused serious injuries to a motorist whose sport utility vehicle sheared a utility pole that was cemented into the ground.

The driver's identity has not been released. He apparently lost control of his SUV as he rounded a bend at the police station.

Duquesne Light Co. repair crews rushed to the scene to restore electricity, but a hose burst on one of the trucks, spilling automotive fluid onto the roadway.

A hazardous-materials team then was called to clean up the spill as work continued to get the power turned on.

Then, however, a worker using a jackhammer ruptured a water line near the pole, and repair efforts had to be halted until another crew repaired the water line.

Chief Burton said the section of Frankstown will remain closed most of the day between Shenandoah Drive to the east and Orchard Drive to the west.