Three men threatened security guards at Hatfield Avenue Shell garage in Fleetwood at 07:50 BST, said police.
They drove off, later throwing an axe at a police patrol car then reversing into the vehicle before speeding off and stealing another car.
Four men aged 22, 24, 27 and 32, have been arrested on suspicion of robbery.
The men, all from the Bolton area, are in custody.
A number of motorists on the A6 at Barton reported their cars had been involved in minor collisions.
The vehicle stolen from the woman, aged 61, was found abandoned. No-one was injured.
Det Ch Insp Mark Winstanley said: "This was a fast-paced sequence of events and it is fortunate that, while distressing for those involved, no-one was injured."
A masked gang stole thousands of pounds in a robbery before throwing an axe at a police car and dragging a woman out of her vehicle in Lancashire.