Police are desperately hunting the driver who sped down Melbourne's Bourke Street Mall as terrified pedestrians ducked for cover - in scenes eerily similar to the deadly rampage almost four years ago
Police are still hunting a driver who caused chaos by speeding down Melbourne's Bourke Street Mall, driving erratically and sending pedestrians fleeing.
Officers had tried to pull over the green Mitsubishi Lancer on Swanston Street just before 5pm on Thursday, but the car sped away before turning down Bourke Street.
A male passenger got out of the car and ran away, as police drew their firearms in a bid to stop the driver.
But he did a U-turn back along Bourke Street and escaped.
Officers found the car on Ashworth Street in Albert Park just before 7pm without number plates.
There were no reports of injuries from the incident, and police believe the driver was trying to escape arrest and did not intend to hurt people.
He was last seen in the St Kilda area, and police are urging anyone who has seen the car to call triple zero.
'The vehicle was followed by the Victoria Police Air Wing and last sighted in the St Kilda area,' a Victoria Police spokesman said.
Pedestrians were forced to dive out of harms way after a driver tore through Melbourne's Bourke Street Mall while trying to escape police (people walk along a busy Bourke Street Mall in November)
The driver remains on the run, and police are appealing for witnesses to come forward (pictured, police at the scene on Thursday afternoon)
Shattered glass was seen on the floor after the car slammed into bollards on Bourke Street Mall
'Investigations into the incident remain ongoing and the vehicle remains outstanding.'
Witnesses say pedestrians were forced to dive out of the path of the car as it came 'tearing down' the street.
A musician who was performing in the street claimed he watched as a man clambered out of the car after it collided with a bollard.
'I saw screeching tyres and then slam... it was nuts.'
Another witness said 'folks were running in every direction, into the shops,' as the car sped through the streets.
He said the officers were 'stymied' in trying to effectively stop the car in its tracks by a tram which cut them off, appearing to 'miss the sound of the sirens'.
Shane Lowe, who saw the incident as it unfolded, told The Herald Sun the driver appeared alone and the front section of the car appeared damaged.
'He was really flooring it, everyone was running up against the walls and into shops,' Mr Lowe said.
Initial investigations suggest nobody has been injured, but witnesses say pedestrians were forced to dive out of the path of the car as it came 'tearing down' the street
Police are seen on Bourke Street Mall on Thursday afternoon a car was seen tearing down the busy shopping street
A police helicopter was spotted hovering above the area.
Police reportedly initially attempted to pull the driver over after running the number plates and realising they were stolen.
They now hope to trace the number plates to see if they can determine the identity of the driver.
The incident was reminiscent of the devastating Bourke Street rampage of 2017, when James Gargasoulas ran down and killed six people in the busy CBD - including a baby boy and a young girl.
Gargasoulas injured dozens of others, knocking them to the ground and into walls while driving in a drug-induced psychosis.
Initial investigations suggest nobody has been injured in the incident, but witnesses say pedestrians were forced to dive out of the path of the car as it came 'tearing down' the street. Pictured: People are seen at Bourke Street Mall in Melbourne wearing face masks
He was sentenced to life in jail at Victoria's Supreme Court on February 22, 2019 with a non-parole period 46 years making him eligible for parole in 2063.
The non-parole period of 46 years is understood to be the longest handed down in Australia.
In 2018, Somali-born terrorist Mohamed Khalif stabbed three people, killing one, during a rampage down the same famous street.
He was shot dead by police after his Holden Rodeo loaded with gas cylinders hit a pedestrian as it mounted the kerb and exploded near Swanston Street.
ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack.
Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
The incident was reminiscent of the devastating Bourke Street rampage of 2017, when James Gargasoulas ran down and killed six people in the busy CBD - including a baby boy and a young girl
Gargasoulas used a stolen car to mow down pedestrians on the busy Bourke Street mall in Melbourne 's CBD on January 20, 2017, claiming the life of six people
Gargasoulas used a stolen car to mow down pedestrians on the busy Bourke Street mall in Melbourne 's CBD on January 20, 2017, claiming the life of six people