The car was reported driving erratically in Rockingham shortly before it smashed into a house on Barnes Street early on Wednesday, causing front-end damage to the vehicle, police said.

When confronted by the occupant, the driver is alleged to have got out of the car and attacked him with a weapon before driving away.

The offender is described as being about 40-years-old and 165cm tall with dark skin and short, balding hair, wearing an aqua-coloured jumper and blue long pants.

He was last seen driving a white ute towards Rockingham from a Kwinana Beach petrol station on Beach Street at about 8:30am and police warned people not to approach the man but to call them immediately.