One man died and another was injured during an attempted cash-in-transit robbery in Industria Road, New Era, on Monday.
The two armoured vehicles, both Ford Ranger bakkies, were allegedly travelling from Boksburg en route to collect money from a company in Springs, when the would-be robbers struck.
According to the driver of the first vehicle, which was carrying two safes and was being followed by a back-up vehicle, he noticed a white Toyota double cab bakkie driving on the wrong side of the road, travelling towards them.
He claims there was nothing he could do to prevent the collision.
Springs police spokesman Amanda Greybe says the Toyota hit the armoured vehicle head-on, forcing it into the oncoming lane and blocking traffic.
It was then that another vehicle, allegedly a Gold Mercedes Benz arrived, and approximately 10 heavily armed men jumped out and started shooting at the occupants of the Ford Rangers.
The driver of the first Ford was still inside the vehicle when he noticed two of the heavily armed men approaching him.
Greybe says the armed men screamed at the driver to open the vehicle.
The two armed men allegedly smashed the passenger side window and then left.
She says the Ford driver noticed the armed men jump into the Mercedes Benz and drive off.
Police on the scene believe the men may have heard the police sirens and made their getaway before being able to open the safes.
Two EMPD officials who were on the scene within minutes of the shooting, Louis Els and Louwrens du Toit, say by the time they arrived the suspects had already fled and had left the safes and their contents untouched.
The driver of the back-up vehicle, a man in his 30s, was allegedly killed in the crossfire.
His passenger sustained gunshot wounds to his left knee and ankle.
Netcare 911 spokesman Santi Steinmann says the injured man was treated on the scene and taken to a nearby hospital.
The EMPD couldn’t confirm the pursuit of a gold Mercedes in Vosloorus.
