A Brazilian prison escapee has been re-arrested after a dramatic police car chase in Sao Paulo.

The incident began when the vehicle was stopped by local police for a minor traffic violation on Sunday.

Running a check on the car, the police officer identified the driver as prison escapee Wellington Goncalves dos Santos, who sped off in an attempt to avoid arrest.

The driver reportedly hit at least nine cars and four motorcycles as he attempted to outrun police.

At least three people were injured during the chase, including the driver.

Police fired five shots at the car, prompting other drivers to abandon their vehicles and take cover.

A TV helicopter filmed the chase, which lasted 20 minutes.