A section of Broadway in South Portland near the Pape Subaru car dealership had to be shut down Sunday afternoon for about two hours after the driver of a Toyota Prius lost control and struck a utility pole, knocking the pole down and sending live wires into the roadway.

Sgt. John Sutton said the Prius driver, whose name is not available yet, apparently lost control of his car on a rain-drenched road surface as it headed westbound around 3 p.m.

The Prius struck a utility pole, which fell into the road and sent live wires hurtling toward another vehicle that was heading eastbound, Sutton said.

Sutton said the eastbound vehicle spun around when the wires started to wrap around the car.

The driver, a woman, was not injured, but Sutton said the male driver of the Prius was taken by ambulance to Maine Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.

Sutton said the police department shut down both sides of Broadway at 3 p.m. The road reopened around 5 p.m. The cause of the accident remains under investigation.

Central Maine Power Company was called in to remove the wires and replace the utility pole. According to CMP’s website, a total of 18 customers located in the vicinity of the crash lost power Sunday afternoon as a result of the crash.

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