Video shows car being pursued by police crashing through World Championships barriers

A video has shown how a car being pursued by police crashed through barricades at the UCI Road World Championships in Richmond, Virginia yesterday.

The incident involving a black Chevrolet Camaro took place on the city’s Monument Avenue at 1.30pm – the same time the men’s team time trial, won by BMC Racing, was getting underway.

Eyewitness Christy Lantz, who lives on the course, told NBC12 News: "We were very concerned. It zoomed past our house and made a very aggressive U-turn and went the other way.

"We said, 'That's the end of that. They'll take care of that.’ But then we saw him coming back down again" – this time with at least three police cars in pursuit.

“He just made a 45 degree turn right into the barricades and drove right through them,” added Ms Lantz.

As a video included in the NBC12 report shows, a number of children were among the nearby spectators. A separate report on CBS 6 shows other footage of the chase.

The driver of the vehicle, Michael G. Sciolino of Mechanicsville, was arrested and has been charged with driving under the influence, felony eluding, felony hit and run, and resisting arrest.

According to police, Sciolino nearly ran over officers during the chase, and one sustained minor injuries. A police car was also damaged.

There were no reports of spectators or anyone connected with the event being injured.

- Police in Paris shoot at car that crashed through Tour de France barriers

In Paris in July, a car crashed through barriers erected in Paris for the final stage of the Tour de France just hours before the race was due in the French capital.

Both the Champs-Elysees stage of the Tour and La Course, the women’s race which preceded it, went ahead as planned.