German police chased a sports car driver who reached speeds of more than 250 kilometers per hour (155 miles per hour) and drove the wrong way on the autobahn near the southern German city of Stuttgart.

The driver of the black Mercedes AMG GT 63 S turned around on the highway apparently trying to avoid a traffic jam and drove in the wrong direction down the highway in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Police in the state of Baden-Württemberg, where Stuttgart is located, said they deployed several patrol vehicles after phone calls from the public.

"When the driver noticed the patrol car, he accelerated again and fled at an estimated speed of well over 250 km/h," police said in a statement. 

Despite several attempts by the police to intercept the vehicle, the driver managed to evade capture.

"Because of the high speed, the officers lost sight of the car," police said.

A police helicopter and a total of 41 patrol cars from six police stations eventually joined the high-speed car chase.

The helicopter located the car in Mühlhausen im Tälem, where the driver fled on foot.

The vehicle was impounded, and police were trying to determine who was behind the wheel.

lo/sms (AFP, dpa)