A quick thinking off-duty police official has managed to foil an attempted hijacking in Fairlands, Johannesburg.
The incident happened on Wednesday night when two suspects armed with handguns, and with faces covered with balaclavas, approached a car.
"The incident happened after the driver of a Toyota Land Cruiser stopped at the pharmacy. He was then confronted by two suspects armed with handguns and had their faces covered with balaclava. He was pointed with firearms and robbed of his vehicle," Colonel Lungelo Dlamini explained in a statement on Thursday.
The hijacking in process caught the attention of the off-duty police officer who was inside the pharmacy at the time.
"He then confronted the suspects by firing several shots. The suspects could not manage to drive far as they crashed the hijacked vehicle into a tree," Dlamini said.
The driver died on the scene, while another suspect was taken to hospital where he is under police guard.
Two unlicensed firearms were seized at the scene.
Police are investigating charges of attempted murder, armed robbery and possession of unlicensed firearms.
KEEP UPDATED on the latest news by subscribing to our FREE newsletter.
- FOLLOW News24 on Twitter