A group of hijackers opened fire on and injured a man who attempted to stop a hijacking in Avoca, KZN, on Friday evening.

The shooting occurred on Gokal Road just after 19:00.

Marshall Security spokesperson Tyron Powell confirmed that the hijackers, in a white Toyota Corolla Quest, hijacked a silver Mercedes-Benz and assaulted the driver.

“Marshall Security’s Special Operations Team and officers established that the homeowner had been confronted by armed [robbers] as he entered his property. They forcibly removed him from his vehicle, striking him on the back of the head with a firearm, before fleeing the scene in both the hijacked Mercedes-Benz and their Toyota Corolla Quest.

“As the [hijackers] were leaving, a neighbour’s friend, who witnessed the incident, attempted to intervene by blocking their vehicle. In response, they opened fire, injuring him in the arm.

“Despite his injury, the man drove himself to the hospital for treatment. The hijacking victim, who sustained lacerations to his head, was treated at the scene by a private ambulance service before being transported to the hospital for further care,” he says.

Greenwood Park SAPS also responded to the incident.