Robert Kevin Cummins faced Perth Magistrates Court on Thursday on a series of charges including vehicle theft, endangering life, reckless driving to escape police and driving without a licence.
He is due to reappear in court in August.
He is accused of driving two stolen cars and threatening motorists with a sword in an attempt to steal other vehicles during a pursuit through peak hour traffic that lasted more than two hours on Wednesday.
Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE
Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.
READ NOWPolice Air Wing vision showed him weaving in and out of traffic and manoeuvring past cars on the wrong side of the road.
He allegedly damaged vehicles stopped at traffic lights while attempting to force the car between them.
Facebook user Dipti Patel, commenting on the Times page, claimed the vehicle sped past him in Osborne Park.
"Right at Main Street next to BP fuel station and then followed by a few police cars " thank God I pulled away from the road," he wrote.
Mr Cummins allegedly crashed into three cars at the intersection of Erindale Road and Farm Street in Hamersley about 5pm.
He is accused of threatening drivers with a sword in an attempt to steal their vehicles after abandoning the car he was driving.
He had no success and allegedly burgled a Farm Street home and stole the keys to a Mazda 6.
The police helicopter monitored the vehicle as Mr Cummins drove recklessly through traffic before police vehicles boxed the Mazda in at the intersection of Anzac Road and East Street in Mt Hawthorn.
He was charged with 16 offences, including some that were alleged to have been committed prior to the police pursuit.