Half-naked fugitive 'spotted with hoodie on Doveton Street'

However, at least two separate people believe they may have spotted the man on Doveton Street last night.

One witness who spoke to The Courier said he spotted the man at around 9.15pm after watching the first half of the Hawthorn/ North Melbourne game at the Golf House Hotel on Doveton Street.

He said he was walking with a friend near the crossroads of Doveton Street and Howitt Street. "We saw this bloke stumbling towards us," he said. "We actually said - I bet it's that bloke who's on the run."

The witness said the man asked where the nearest payphone was, then asked to use their phones. They both said no, and directed him down Howitt Street.

He said the man was not shirtless as he had been when he fled from the police but was wearing a blue and black hoodie. He was not sure whether he was wearing the same grey pants.

The man had been "very polite" during the encounter, but the witness said that something had struck him as not quite right.

"You could tell he was just not all there. I am not sure if he was on drugs, or drunk or anything," he said.

WATCH VIDEO OF THE ESCAPE HERE

While he said he was not scared during the exchange, he said it had left him "a bit on edge".

He said he called police after the encounter. His neighbours later said they had seen the same man loitering on Doveton Street.

Ballarat Superintendent Jenny Wilson stressed yesterday that the man is not considered to be a danger to the public and that he is being pursued for vehicle crimes.

He made a dramatic yesterday afternoon, evading a large police presence, including a helicopter.

The Courier has contacted Ballarat police this morning, who said there was no update at the moment and the man remained at large. The name of the wanted man has not been released to the public.

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