Four people were hospitalized late Saturday night following a massive crash in Five Points West during a police chase.

The crash happened about 10 p.m. on Bessemer Road at Avenue W just in front of the Crossplex. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Neighborhood Enforcement Team, SNET, accompanied by the Live PD crew were pursuing a suspect with outstanding warrants, said sheriff’s Deputy Chief David Agee. The suspect, whose name has not yet been released, was wanted on theft and drug charges.

The deputies lost sight of the suspect vehicle, Agee said. The suspect then reportedly accelerated through the red light at the main Five Points West intersection, crashing into an oncoming motorist and causing a chain reaction of more wrecks. In all, seven vehicles were hit, several of them with extensive damage.

Witness Charles Smith said he was standing at the bus stop on Bessemer Road when the crashes happened just feet from him. “I heard sirens to my left. I turned and looked and noticed the car sped up as it approached the intersection and hit a car going into several other cars,’’ Smith said.

“The car they (the suspects) were driving,’’ he said, “was basically obliterated.”

“I had to try to get behind the bus stop because debris was coming at me and I didn’t know if it was going to hit me or not,’’ Smith said. “I did see a shoe but I did not see a suspect get out or run.”

“It was pretty bad. I’ve never seen anything like it,’’ he said. “It was a boom, like somebody dropped a ton of something in the middle of the road. The car was breaking up as it was moving. It just slid and slid and slid.”

Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service Battalion Chief Sebastian Carrillo said four people were transported to UAB Hospital’s Trauma Center, one of them with serious injuries. The conditions of the other victims were not immediately known.

Birmingham police on the scene said the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency would be handling probe.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office announced in October it would, over a 10-week period, be featured on the television show Live PD. The popular A&E television show reaches more than 7 million viewers and the goal is to show how law enforcement is reducing crime and improving the quality of life on a daily basis.

The show airs on Friday and Saturday nights. The crash was not shown on Saturday night’s episode.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.