SUV nearly swallowed by sinkhole [PHOTO]

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A water main break on Long Island gave the owner of an SUV a major scare when the ground opened up underneath his car.

Cold weather is the likely culprit for the water main break that caused a sinkhole on Long Island that nearly swallowed an SUV whole.

Early Tuesday morning, a man was driving through the Long Island city of Smithtown, New York when a water main burst, opening up a chasm right underneath his vehicle.

The SUV plunged downward, landing at an almost-vertical position into the hole. The driver was able to escape unharmed, Suffolk County police told ABC.

The break, which was likely caused by cold temperatures, was particularly powerful because the pipe split along its length, Suffolk County Water Authority spokesman Timothy Motz said. Twenty-six homes lost water service until about noon Tuesday.

Long Island Stringer News captured the remarkable scene, tweeting out a photo of the SUV:

Smithtown,NY-Rough morning for driver on Mt.Pleasant Rd. after SUV disappears into sinkhole after water main break. twitter.com/Stringernews/s…

— Stringer News (@Stringernews) January 15, 2013