Lorry leaves trail of sparks and flames as fugitive driver tries to flee police in Ohio

The bizarre pursuit was caught on patrol car dashcam as the stolen semi-trailer careered through the streets of Columbus, in the US state of Ohio, on October 19.

The lorry driver, said to have been armed with a gun, is seen as he apparently tries to crush one police cruiser under his giant wheels as he takes a bend.

For a heart-stopping moment, the bonnet of the cruiser disappears under the trailer only to be thrown clear a split second later.

As the truck races through the packed roads, it leaves a spooky trail of burning petrol from a ruptured fuel line. And, say police, it made frequent stops to back up and try to ram other police vehicles.

The police said that the chase began when officers tried to do a traffic check on the vehicle and it roared off.

The driver, later identified as California resident 42-year-old Gregory Ivory, finally crashed into a wall and was arrested.