A small backhoe was partially swallowed by a 10-foot-wide sinkhole in Bedford Thursday morning when erosion from a water main break caused the road to give way, police said.

The driver was not hurt in the incident, said Sergeant Ron Undzis, a Bedford police spokesman.

The backhoe drove to Wiggins Avenue near Summer Street at about 6:30 a.m. to respond to the water main break, Undzis said. Workers were unaware that the water break had “wiped out” the ground underneath the pavement, Undzis said.