Police are searching for two gunmen who shot a motorist on the N2 southbound lane near Ballito this morning.

Umhlali police spokesperson Captain Vinny Pillay says the driver is in a critical condition and was rushed to hospital.

He explains that when the two men began firing at an approaching vehicle, the driver jumped out of his car, which then collided with another car.

“From a nearby bush, the gunmen also fired shots at security officers who first arrived on the scene,” adds Pillay.

The Zululand Observer meanwhile reports the freeway was closed after the shooting incident at around 07:30.

IPSS Medical Rescue responded to the emergency, and the publication states a secondary incident subsequently occurred when a female pedestrian was knocked over on the same stretch, reportedly by a motorist driving inside the yellow line.

She is in a critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment by IPSS paramedics.