A dramatic crash in west Phoenix led to an unexpected sinkhole situation Wednesday morning when a sedan and an SUV collided near Desert Sky Mall. The incident occurred around 7:30 a.m. at the intersection of 75th and Virginia Avenues, as reported by Phoenix Police. A woman was critically injured and taken to a hospital, while three others sustained minor injuries, according to the FOX 10 Phoenix.

After the collision, the sedan hit a fire hydrant, leading to a geyser of water that quickly created a mud pit swallowing the vehicle whole. The driver managed to escape the sinking car, but the flood caused significant issues for the local businesses. An orthodontist had to cancel their day's appointments as authorities shut off the water to control the scene, with one worker expressing their disbelief to FOX 10 Phoenix: "I came into the office to work this morning and I didn't have any parking because the whole place was flooded," said Devin Friebe.

Images captured from above showed one vehicle with a heavily damaged front end, while the second car was submerged in the sudden mud pit. Police have closed the intersection to investigate the cause of the crash. Shoppers and workers at the nearby mall were shocked by the sight. "I've only ever seen something like this on the news, so seeing it in person is like, whoa!" Marlene Friebe told the FOX 10 Phoenix.

Authorities have yet to determine what led to the collision that caused such a dramatic and hazardous disruption. Coverage from azfamily.com further shows the severity of the sinkhole, which resulted from the sheared fire hydrant. Police are continuing their investigation into the crash and have not yet released additional details.