Police pursued a car through the city centre before it crashed into a bollard.
Hells Wootton was with her daughter at around 11.45am today (March 24) when she saw a white car being driven at "high speed" on Prince Street, followed by six police cars.
She said: "This was actually on the cobbled stones where normally you would have people sitting or walking alongside the Arnolfini.
"They turned off to the left where we heard a load bang, so we set off on foot to have a look.
"The car was surrounded by police. It had crashed into a bollard.
"Luckily with it being part-lockdown, there were no families walking around that part of the harbour, as they would have been killed at the speeds they were going."
Ms Wootton added that she saw police detain a group of males.
An Avon and Somerset police spokesman said: "An officer on foot patrol in Bristol city centre reported seeing a vehicle being driven in a suspicious manner in Prince Street at approximately 11.45am this morning.
"The vehicle was followed by two police cars along Assembly Rooms Lane and Narrow Quay before coming to a stop.
"The vehicle then set off again and collided with a bollard near Prince Street at about 12.05pm.
"A 24-year-old man was subsequently arrested for dangerous driving, failing to stop when required to by the police and criminal damage. He remains in police custody."
Three male passengers in the vehicle were taken into custody to be searched and have subsequently been released.
