Police are on the hunt for a driver who sped erratically down Melbourne’s Bourke Street Mall, terrifying pedestrians nearby. Officers attempted to stop a green Mitsubishi Lancer just before 5pm yesterday on Swanston Street, over a traffic related incident. The driver sped north and turned onto Bourke Street Mall where eye witnesses reported seeing bystanders jump for cover as the car flew along the tram tracks and crashed into a bollard. Police approached with their guns drawn, but a passenger ran from the car towards Elizabeth Street before the driver did a u-turn and took off again. The Police Air Wing was called in and the Mitsubishi was located on Ashworth Street in Albert Park about 6.40pm with its number plates missing.

One witness said the scene on Bourke Street Mall was shocking. “Crash – bang, bang! It hit the bollard,” the witness said. There were no injuries reported and police don’t believe the driver was intentionally trying to target pedestrians.