Video screenshots show aftermath of a multi-car accident in Gatlinburg.

A multi-car crash in Smoky Mountains hospitalized a half-dozen people and shut down a busy East Tennessee highway over the weekend, officials confirmed.

The crash took place about 4:15 p.m. local time on June 1 in Gatlinburg, the city's mayor Mike Werner told USA TODAY.

Warner confirmed the wreck occurred in the 700 block of the Parkway, a highway in the tourist city's busy downtown area of Sevier County.

The Gatlinburg Police Department said in a statement to USA TODAY that five cars were involved in the collision.

At least six people injured in the crash were transported to area hospitals for treatment, officials said.

Lined with shops and restaurants, the highway rest in a bustling tourist area, where pedestrians often speckle its street sidewalks during the summer months.

What caused the Gatlinburg crash?

Werner said a preliminary investigation revealed the crash was caused by a driver who suffered "a medical episode."

Jason Pack, a spokesperson for the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, told USA TODAY that a minivan accelerated unexpectedly, striking a pedestrian in a crosswalk before colliding with several other vehicles.

"The impact caused one of the vehicles to hit a roadside sign, which then fell and injured a second pedestrian on the sidewalk," Pack said.

Pack said seven people were injured, including five people inside two different vehicles. One pedestrian was struck and another was hit by a falling sign.

As of early afternoon local time on June 2, no fatalities had been reported by officials.

According to GPD, a portion of the Parkway was temporarily shut down after the crash, but reopened around 10:30 p.m. local time on June 1.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said in a social media post that he and his wife are "deeply saddened by the tragic crash in Gatlinburg & are lifting up victims & their loved ones in prayer."

Witness captured scene on video: 'Please say some prayers'

A witness described the accident as "a major wreck" in a video obtained by Storyful.

"We've got a serious, serious accident here," the witness said.

The video shows multiple damaged cars, littered debris and dozens of bystanders lining the street.

Some of the injured victims were laying on the sidewalk, the witness said. Watch the video at the top of this story.

"We have multiple, multiple, multiple wrecks going on. Many, many hits guys," the witness said. "Please say some prayers over here."

The Tennessee Highway Patrol is investigating the incident, Pack said.

This story has been updated with additional information and to fix a misspelling.

Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at melina.khan@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 7 injured after multi-car accident on busy highway in downtown Gatlinburg

Reporting by Melina Khan and Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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