UPDATE 9.41am: The black Labrador who ran away from last night's crash scene at Te Maunga will be reunited with her owner this morning.

Pepper was found on the side of the road near Bay Park after her owner crashed his van into power poles at around 8.15pm.

A black Labrador, similar to the one pictured, ran from the crash scene last night.

Once found, the hunt for the six-year-old dog's owner hit the internet, with Eva Tate posting a picture on her Facebook page, Eva's Animal ResQ Tauranga.

Thanks to a community effort, the dog was subsequently identified as Pepper and is being collected by her owner later this morning.

Earlier:

The driver of a van that crashed into power poles at Te Maunga last night is looking for his dog today, who was lost in the crash.

A black Labrador named Pepper, aged about six, hasn't been seen since the van knocked over one of the poles and bent another one out of shape at around 8.15pm.

Fire crews from Mount Maunganui and Tauranga attended the incident, which cut power to hundreds of households.

The emergency services helped to navigate traffic and keep people away from the high voltage lines that were lying on the road, says Mount station officer Terry Mills.

The single vehicle crash snapped one pole off at the base and bent another out of shape, between Bayfair and Maungatapu roundabouts.

'There was just one person in the van,” says Terry. 'He did lose his dog, a black Labrador if anyone sees it. She probably got a bit of a fright from the bang and bolted. He was alright.”

Firefighters from Tauranga and the Mount were on the scene for about an hour.

The driver of the crash has been charged with driving with excess breath alcohol after he blew 515 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath. The adult limit is 250 mircograms of alcohol per litre of breath.

He has also been charged with damage to three or four power poles.