Underground vault explosion reportedly causes car crash in Van Nuys

VAN NUYS, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A man was injured Thursday after a reported underground vault explosion caused his car to crash in Van Nuys.

The incident was reported as an underground vault explosion shortly after midnight in the 14900 block of West Sherman Way, Los Angeles fire officials said. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power said an underground vault failed. A crew was doing work about a block away at the time of the blast.

Eyewitness News viewer Phillip Castro said a sudden explosion pushed a manhole cover into the bottom of a Toyota Prius and caused the car to fly about 5 to 6 feet in the air.

"It was a really violent crash. The back of his car went airborne and came crashing down," Castro said.

The driver of the Prius said all he remembers is waking up about 20 minutes after the blast lying on the street and seeing a crowd surrounding him. He was released from the hospital and did not suffer any serious injuries.

The cause of the incident was under investigation.