Everson Luhanga
When the dust settled, four lifeless bodies were sprawled across the freeway or slumped inside a bullet-riddled Mercedes-Benz, with pistols scattered on the road.
This was the bloody scene on the N2 off-ramp, towards the Higginson Highway in Durban on Wednesday afternoon.
The bodies belonged to four suspected robbers, who were killed in a shootout with the police.
KwaZulu-Natal police captain Nqobile Gwala said security officials spotted a vehicle suspected to be involved in a number of robberies in Durban.
She said the suspects sped off went they spotted the security personnel and a chase ensued towards the freeway.
“Police officers from K9 Unit, Airwing, and other role players joined the chase,” Gwala said.
While speeding to avoid the law enforcement, the suspect’s vehicle collided with a truck, after which a shoot-out ensued.
During the exchange of gunfire, the four suspects were fatally wounded. Three pistols were seized. The fifth suspect was taken to hospital, where he remains under police guard.
The Higginson Highway was closed off to traffic on both lanes throughout Wednesday afternoon, resulting in a backlog of traffic as motorists had to either reverse or take the N2 north on-ramp to avoid the commotion.
“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 during December 2021,” Gwala said.
One of the suspects managed to flee the scene and is still being searched for by police.
Chatsworth police are investigating charges of attempted murder, unlawful possession of firearms, and possession of a stolen vehicle.
