Two officers pursued the silver Holden Statesman from Mair St to the intersection of Murray St and Collard St in Newington just after midnight but the chase came to an end when the driver went through the T intersection and ploughed through a wooden fence.

The car came within a metre of a house, where a young family were believed to have been sleeping inside.

A neighbour, who declined to be named, said she was awoken by the screeching of tyres and a loud smash and immediately went to investigate.

"We had the windows wide open because it was so hot," she said.

"I honestly thought it had hit the house, the sound was so loud, I thought the house would be destroyed.

"I jumped out of bed and there were two police officers with their hands on their guns looking at the car, then I saw one of them running away.

"I thought, `where is he going?' and then I looked and saw the guy running away."

The man evaded the police officer, and despite a ground search following the arrival of a second divisional van shortly afterwards, he was not found.