Durban - Police from Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, are currently on the lookout for a suspect that fled the scene of a high-speed chase and shootout on Wednesday, which ended at the Higginson Highway, over the N2 bridge.
According to a police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Nqobile Gwala, the suspects were spotted by a private security firm in a vehicle that was reported stolen on the corner of Cowey and Clarens road in Morningside.
The suspects sped off in a southbound direction towards the N2 offramp.
By that time, police K-9 and Air Wing units gave chase to the white Mercedes Benz sedan.
About 20 kilometres south-west of the area where they were spotted, the suspects crashed into a truck on the M1 Higginson Highway, near Chatsworth, after which a shootout ensued.
Four suspects were killed in the shootout, and one was injured. The injured suspect is under police guard at a hospital. One suspect managed to flee the scene, Gwala said.
She said signal jamming devices were also found in the vehicle.
“Three pistols were seized from the suspects. The preliminary investigations conducted at the scene revealed that the same vehicle was used in a number of robberies in Durban and Richards Bay. The recovered vehicle was hijacked in Pinetown in December 2021.
“Charges of attempted murder, unlawful possession of firearms and possession of a stolen vehicle are being investigated by Chatsworth SAPS,” Gwala said.
Upon arrival at the scene, a body was seen under the bridge where the incident took place. It was covered in a space blanket and lying on the northbound lane of the N2 freeway.
Police presence was heavy at the scene, as tactical units were seen guarding each egress and ingress point.
The road was closed off on both lanes resulting in a backlog of traffic on the westbound lane as motorists had to either reverse or take the N2 north on-ramp to avoid the commotion.
A video on social media shows traffic on the east and west bound lanes slowing down to rubberneck the scene. A handgun was also seen lying on the floor of the carriageway.
Police statistics for the month of February revealed that 352 arrests were made for property crimes such as burglary, theft of vehicles and stock theft.
273 illegal firearms with 3 269 various rounds of ammunition were also seized during the same period.
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