A Crystal police vehicle responding to an emergency call early Thursday collided with a box truck, taking down a light pole in the process, authorities said.

The crash happened at 5:40 a.m. on 36th Avenue N., just east of Hwy. 100, the State Patrol said. The truck ended up on its side and the squad car was extensively damaged.

The officer, identified by his department as Gabe Storz, 34, was in fair condition at a nearby hospital.

The truck driver, Gregorio D. Lagunes, 39, of Madison, Wis., was treated and released, police said.

Paul Walsh