Passengers play dead as armed men ambush e-hailing driver in KZN
· Citizen
Two occupants escaped injury after armed men attacked an e-hailing vehicle on the Ndwedwe Main Road near Sebenzele High School in KwaZulu-Natal.
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Members from the Reaction Unit SA (RUSA) were called out to the scene on Tuesday evening around 23:15.
Ride gone wrong
According to reports, the occupants were travelling from Hazelmere to Mona in a white Toyota Rumion that was being utilised as an e-hailing vehicle when they noticed a Hyundai SUV following them.
The SUV allegedly tailed the vehicle from a tuckshop in the Pholopholo area before multiple shots were fired.
It is alleged that a suspect armed with a rifle hid in dense vegetation across the roadway and opened fire on command while occupants of the SUV simultaneously discharged handguns.
Gunfire damage
Based on information gathered at the scene, a rifle and two 9mm pistols were allegedly used during the attack.
The Toyota Rumion sustained extensive damage after being struck multiple times.
The windscreen, tyres, doors, bonnet, and boot were damaged by gunfire. According to RUSA, the vehicle eventually became immobilised after a tyre was destroyed during the shooting.
Reports state that the occupants remained inside the vehicle and pretended to be deceased until the suspects fled the area. Neither occupant sustained injuries, and the motive for the shooting has not yet been established.
Armed robbery
Meanwhile, in a separate incident on Wednesday, the Durban Metro Police Service (DMPS) responded to an armed robbery and vehicle hijacking in Savannah Park.
The three suspects abandoned their getaway vehicle and attempted to escape arrest by fleeing into the bushes nearby.
During the operation, one suspect was fatally wounded, while the remaining two reportedly fled on foot.
The DMPS K9 unit was dispatched to assist in the search, where one suspect was successfully tracked over a distance of approximately one kilometre and apprehended in dense bushland.
The suspect pointed out a firearm he had discarded while attempting to flee, which was recovered by DMPS officers.
The suspect sustained dog bite injuries during the arrest, received medical treatment, and was detained at the Chatsworth South African Police Service.
A suspect is still at large, and officials have urged the public to report any information about the suspect to the nearest law enforcement agency.