Mystic — A man and woman who Stonington police said appeared to have been involved in a domestic dispute escaped serious injury late Tuesday afternoon when their van crashed into a utility pole on Lantern Hill Road, cutting it in half.

The road remained closed early Tuesday night as Eversource crews worked to replace the broken pole. Power remained on in the neighborhood.

Police said that their preliminary investigation indicated the male driver and his female passenger were involved in a domestic dispute as they drove north on Lantern Hill Road near Marjorie Street just past 5 p.m. That’s when police said it appears the woman grabbed the steering wheel, causing the car to go off the road and into the pole.

When Old Mystic firefighters arrived, they found the woman lying under the van. Police said that it appeared she had broken her ankle and that when she exited the van, she slid on the steep incline and fell under the vehicle. Firefighters then had to extricate her.

Both the woman and the man, who police said suffered minor injuries, were taken to Lawrence + Memorial Hospital. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

— Joe Wojtas