AUBURN – Police late Wednesday were searching for the driver of a vehicle that slammed into a utility pole on Perkins Ridge Road, ripping wires into the street and knocking out power to the neighborhood.

The crash at Perkins Ridge and West Auburn Road was reported about 9:30 p.m. The impact cracked the pole and knocked wires to the ground, but the driver was last seen driving away from the area, police said.

While some officers went to the crash site, others searched nearby roads for the vehicle, which was expected to have been heavily damaged in the wreck.

Police recovered debris at the scene believed to be from the vehicle that crashed. Officers blocked a stretch of the road while they began an investigation and fire and utility crews began to arrive.

With lines from four poles down, power was expected to be out for hours. It was not immediately known how many homes were affected.