A high-speed chase that began in Mattoon Sunday afternoon led to a 5-vehicle car wreck at the corner of University Drive and Lincoln Avenue in Charleston near CVS.

At least one person was airlifted due to their injuries and at least three people were injured.

All five vehicles were totaled.

Peyton Trier, an employee for Big Al’s Shake Ups, a food truck that was on the same corner as the wreck, said the crash sounded “like a bomb.”

Trier said when he turned to see what was happening, he saw a person lying in the road and smoke.

Charleston Police Department Chief Chad Reed said the high-speed chase began with a traffic stop in Mattoon. The police chased the vehicle until it became unsafe to do so.

The driver was later spotted by a Charleston Police Department officer who attempted to pull the car over. The second chase also ended due to it reaching dangerous speeds.

Reed said he wanted to emphasize the chase had been terminated by the time the crash occurred.

The investigation was handed over to the Illinois State Police who began the process of reconstructing the scene to determine what exactly happened at the time of the crash.

As more information becomes available, it will be reported on.

Corryn Brock and Ryan Meyer can be reached at 581-2812 or at dennewsdesk@gmail.com.