BARRE — Police are looking for a man who allegedly clipped a parked cruiser and injured an Orange County deputy sheriff who was directing traffic at the intersection of Washington and Academy streets early Friday.

According to police, the man claimed he was injured in the accident, which occurred shortly before 3:30 a.m., then ran away when the deputy turned to call for help. The driver also hit a telephone pole before striking the cruiser.

Police said the deputy, whom they did not identify, chased the man down Elm Street but gave up the pursuit near Summer Street due to injuries he suffered moments earlier when he had to dive out of the way of the oncoming car.

The driver of the car, which police said was a white Subaru Impreza, allegedly ignored the deputy’s attempt to wave him off Washington Street and onto Academy Street due to the North Main Street reconstruction project. Police said the deputy was working a traffic detail and his marked cruiser — lights flashing — was blocking the westbound lane of Washington Street at the time of the accident.

When it became evident the driver wasn’t going to yield, the deputy jumped into the cruiser as the Subaru slammed into a nearby telephone pole. After impact, police said, the rear of the Subaru swung to the left and hit the driver’s side back door of the parked cruiser.

Barre police went to the scene and followed some leads but still hadn’t located the suspect by Friday evening.

It appears the man is not the car’s owner. Among the criminal charges police said he will face is operating without the owner’s consent.

Police did not provide a description of the suspect or indicate the nature and severity of the deputy’s injuries.