Eyewitness video sent in by viewer Joel Rivera shows the severity of that impact.
PHOTOS: Driver smashes Mercedes into tree during police chase
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Houston police said the chase began when they spotted the Mercedes driving down the wrong way.
When the driver refused to stop, he took off but eventually lost control, flipping the car and smashing the vehicle into the tree.
The violent impact sent the car's engine flying down the road, but the chase didn't end there.
Police said the driver climbed out of the wreckage and kept running, but he didn't make it too far.
He's now in jail, facing a list of charges.