EXCLUSIVE

Jake Lloyd, the actor who played the young Anakin Skywalker in "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace," was arrested, TMZ has learned, after an insane car chase that ended when Jake plowed into some trees.

Cops say Lloyd was driving in Charleston, South Carolina, when Sheriff's deputies began pursuing him. The chase was underway and it went on for miles, into another county.

Deputies say Jake began passing cars on the double yellow line and began driving recklessly, at high speeds.

Cops say eventually Jake lost control of his car, which ran off the road, through a fence and into a wooded area where it struck several trees.

The 26-year-old who also starred in "Jingle All the Way" was arrested for reckless driving, failure to stop, resisting arrest and driving without a license.