A 27-year-old man was killed when a car pursued by police hit him and dragged him for about 40 metres on Pretoria Road in Silverton on Monday, Pretoria police said.

The man fleeing from police had driven off after police came across him and the occupants of a VW Kombi leaving a house they had just broken into in Mariefield.

"Police patrolling the area were informed of a house breaking incident and when they got to the house in question, there was a Ford Lazer parked outside. A man soon emerged, followed by the Kombi that had been parked inside the yard," Captain Shawane Sepato said.

He said the men drove off when police flagged them down, resulting in a high speed chase around the streets of Silverton.

Police fired a "warning shot", which hit the driver but failed to stop his escape bid. The Ford Lazer skipped a red robot on Pretoria Road, hit a man who was about to get into a car parked along the street and dragged him for 40 metres.

"That too did not stop the driver of the Ford Lazer as he proceeded to drive but he again got to a red robot and this time there were other cars, making it impossible to drive through," Sepato said.

At the robot, the man rammed his car into a Mazda, which in turn hit a Ford that had stopped in front of it.

A police car then smashed into the Ford Lazer as it was trying to reverse after hitting the two cars.

"The man was arrested and found with a bullet wound," Sepato said.

The arrested man, believed to be in his 30s, was then taken to hospital.

"He will appear in court whenever he is discharged and he will face charges of housebreaking, escaping before incarceration, culpable homicide and reckless and negligent driving," he said.

Police were still searching for occupants of the Kombi.

Sapa