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A pursuit of a possibly impaired driver ended in the suspect vehicle crashing into another car on Louisville Road Tuesday night.

Seven people went to the hospital following the crash, including a 4-month-old baby that was in the suspect's vehicle, Blount County Sheriff James Berrong said.

The incident began at 10:28 p.m. when a sheriff's deputy attempted to stop the green Ford Contour that was traveling southbound on Alcoa Highway between Neil Sandler Ford and McGhee Tyson Airport. Berrong said the suspect vehicle had a taillight that was out and the car was driving "erratically."

The Ford Contour did not stop, and Berrong said the deputy pursued the vehicle due to the suspect's possible impaired state. He said a supervisor and another deputy joined in on the chase and the supervisor made the call to continue pursuing.

Berrong said the suspect turned onto the U.S. 129 Bypass and then "attempted to turn right onto Louisville Road from the bypass." The suspect crossed one lane of Louisville Road, hopped a curve, drove through a median and then began crossing another lane where he crashed into another vehicle traveling on Louisville Road toward the intersection with the bypass.

"They thought he might have been impaired," Berrong said. "That's why they allowed the deputy to continue pursuing him. Unfortunately it ended in an accident."

The Ford Mustang that the Ford Contour hit was occupied by two people, and both were taken by Rural/Metro Ambulance Service to University of Tennessee Medical Center.

Berrong said that the Ford Contour was occupied by the suspect and four passengers, including a baby. He said all of the passengers were taken by Rural/Metro Ambulance Service to Blount Memorial Hospital. The suspect was taken by cruiser to the hospital for a toxicology blood test.

Identities of the suspect, his passengers and the occupants of the Ford Mustang, were not released on Monday night.

Berrong said he expects the man in custody to have "multiple charges," including a charge related to the man having the child in the vehicle. "And he has two warrants out of Knox County," Berrong added.

Blount County Sheriff's deputies reconstructed the accident scene, and Alcoa police officers and Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers assisted. Alcoa firefighters and members of the Blount County Volunteer Rescue Squad also assisted at the scene.