Justin Yee described the dramatic car chase on Wellington waterfront, during which he and his friend had to jump out of the first car's path to avoid "getting clipped."

People had to dive out of the way as police chased a car through streets and along wharfs in central Wellington.

Two men will appear in court on Saturday after fleeing along Oriental Bay before two women tumbled out of the car.

The screeching car continued on to the wharfs, along the waterfront to TSB Arena at Queens Wharf.

JOHN WEEKES/ FAIRFAX NZ Tegan Harvey, left, and Sydonie Fletcher were with an Amazing Race team when the speeding car sent pedestrians scattering behind them.

Justin Yee and Lemalie Ford were on a waterfront bridge and found themselves in the speeding car's path.

"We couldn't run back. There was no time for that," Yee said.

They both had to jump off, on to beams beside, to avoid getting hit.

JOHN WEEKES/ FAIRFAX NZ Justin Yee and Lemalie Ford had to jump from this waterfront bridge when a speeding car came screeching through the area.

Ford said it was "miraculous" nobody was hurt. "I couldn't believe that this was going on. There were heaps of little kids around."

Witnesses including Brent Taylor estimated the white car, a Mitsubishi Mirage or similar model, was travelling at least 70kmh. "The people ... all had to jump out the way," he said

Fellow witness Tegan Harvey said: "If someone was in front of them, they would've been dead."

JOHN WEEKES/ FAIRFAX NZ Justin Yee points out where the speeding car came from on the Wellington waterfront.

"They came speeding down here," Harvey's friend Sydonie Fletcher said. "People were jumping off bridges."

Fletcher said it seemed two young men or teens were in the white car. "People have said the guys in the car were laughing."

Earlier, Sigrun Grice, managing director at GSL Promotus, said she saw two women tumble out the car near the New World supermarket.

GOOGLE MAPS The fleeing car took in most of Wellington's waterfront.

Grice was outside and "instinctively" jumped out the way when seeing a speeding car in her peripheral vision.

"He flew through that little bypass then his tyres started screeching."

The car clipped a BMW then slowed down as two women tumbled out.

Grice said the women, "trying to look nonchalant", fled into Waitangi Park before the driver shot off again.

Anne Rawiri, at the Maori Arts Gallery near Frank Kitts Park, heard sirens and witnessed the mayhem unfold on her doorstep.

"Next minute, zoom, the white car comes ... a cop's right up his backside. There was no stopping on either party.

"The whole promenade was crowded ... it was a miracle that everybody stepped aside to avoid being killed."

Rawiri said the white car was going "so fast I wondered why he didn't fly".

A bystander who gave her name only as Veronica said: "I heard the car engines screaming down Cable St the wrong way. The white car being chased by the police swerved with its tyres screaming and smoke pouring off them.

"One bollard was down, letting him through on to the waterfront by Mac's brewery bar.

"It is a miracle that no-one has been killed. I hope they lock him up, he's an idiot."

Privacy Commissioner John Edwards also got caught in the action.

"I heard sirens and turned around just in time to see a white car being pursued by an unmarked police car along the waterfront," he said.

Many walkers and cyclists were around.

Very dangerous police car chase along the waterfront now — John Edwards (@JCE_PC) April 8, 2016

Police said two men would appear in court on Saturday on theft-related charges.

Wellington area commander Inspector Chris Bensemann said a pursuit lasting about 1-2 minutes started about 2pm, after reports of car windows being smashed and thefts from cars in Vivian St.

Bensemann said the pursuit continued along Oriental Parade, before the fleeing car went down Cable St, on to Wakefield, into Tory, then back into Cable St "with the offending driver in some instances travelling on the wrong side of the road".

He said at that stage estimated speeds did not exceed 50kmh.

The car then went into Taranaki St along a waterfront service lane by Mac's Brewbar, before heading over the pedestrian bridge, where police "lost sight of the vehicle so abandoned the pursuit".

Bensemann confirmed the driver and his associate were arrested soon afterwards.