A 55-year-old woman was left with severe facial injuries after allegedly being punched in the face by her son multiple times after he rammed her car off the road.

Police are searching for James Uhr, 27, of Warilla who is believed to have left the scene in a stolen white 2003 Hyundai Elantra sedan with NSW registration AKB38X.

Detective Inspector Brad Ainsworth said that earlier that morning around 7:40am, the wanted man is believed to have stolen a Ford ute from a petrol station at Cringila  and headed for Wollongong.

Police attempted to pull over the vehicle, but it allegedly rammed a number of other vehicles in the North Wollongong area and sped off.

Detective Ainsworth said Uhr went to Farrell Street in Balgownie, where his mother lives.

Her chased her down the street as she drove away and then rammed her off the road onto a footpath, police allege.

Detective Ainsworth said Uhr approached the car, opened the door and punched his mother in the head and mouth for about 25 seconds.

He escaped the scene in a car owned by a bystander.

The woman has been hospitalised with serious facial injuries and will likely require surgery.

“His manner of driving, to chase his mother down in the car and ram her, his efforts and actions at North Wollongong prior to that, it was lucky that only the mother was injured,” Detective Ainsworth said.

“It’s quite sickening actually and obviously quite horrific.”

Investigating police are now seeking assistance to locate 27-year-old Uhr, who is wanted on a string of offences ranging from predatory driving, stealing a motor vehicle and grievous bodily harm assault.

He is also known to police in Victoria.

Police are urging the public not to approach Uhr or the vehicle, but to contact Triple 0 if sighted.

He is described as being 175-180cms tall, with short receding black hair, weighing 80 to 90kgs and has numerous tattoos on his arms and neck.

Anyone with information: Crime Stoppers, 1800 333 000.