A small backhoe was partially swallowed by a 10-foot-wide sinkhole in Bedford Thursday morning when erosion from a water main break caused the road to give way, police said.
The driver was not hurt in the incident, said Sergeant Ron Undzis, a Bedford police spokesman.
The backhoe drove to Wiggins Avenue near Summer Street at about 6:30 a.m. to respond to the water main break, Undzis said. Workers were unaware that the water break had “wiped out” the ground underneath the pavement, Undzis said.
“I guess it gave way and engulfed one of those backhoes,” he said.
The excavator ended up on its side, several feet deep in the mud-filled sinkhole. Police closed the section of road as crews worked to remove the backhoe.
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Undzis said water service was not disrupted in the area, which is near several office buildings. Police hope to have the road reopened by Thursday afternoon.
J.D. Capelouto can be reached at jd.capelouto@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @jdcapelouto.