This broken traffic light was lying in front of the badly damaged police cruiser. (CBC News) An Ottawa police cruiser was badly damaged after it struck a traffic light standard in the city's downtown on Sunday night.

An officer driving the cruiser had been responding to a priority one call, with lights and sirens activated, about a man lying in the snow, police said.

The light standard had been directing traffic at the intersection of Lyon Street and Laurier Avenue West before it was struck.

Before it was towed, the damaged cruiser was up on the sidewalk just south of the intersection, between Laurier and Gloucester Avenue, with the broken traffic light lying on the ground in front of it.

No one was injured.

Laurier Avenue West was closed between Kent and Bay streets, and the southbound lanes of Slater Street were closed at Lyon Street. The roads have since reopened.