Two suspects were fatally injured after they allegedly attempted to hijack an Isuzu four-ton bakkie on Monday morning.
A cyclist was also killed during the incident.
The driver of the bakkie and his brother were stopped by the occupants of a blue/grey Toyota on the Etwatwa off-ramp.
Loaded with vegetables and 12 boxes of cigarettes, the pair was on their way to Witbank.
“The man opened the driver’s door and a man appeared next to the door.
“He noticed another man walking to the passenger’s side and pointing at his brother. “Two more men walked to the bakkie and took his brother into the Corolla,” explained Sergeant Themba Tshabalala, communications officer of Springs SAPS.
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On the other side of the road, security officers from a private security company were on their way to Etwatwa.
The security officers were suspicious of the two vehicles.
“The victim then heard heard two shots. He was unsure where they came from,” added Tshabalala.
The security officers drove toward the bakkie and saw four armed men.
One of the security officers fired two warning shots into the ground.
“The bakkie and the Toyota, however, drove away and they chased the vehicles.
“After about 100m the bakkie came to a standstill next to the highway on the grass,” said Tshabalala.
A shoot-out ensued between the suspects and the security personnel, as the suspects tried to run away on foot.
Two of the suspects were fatally wounded.
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One of the two firearms recovered on them was reported stolen in Dawn Park.
“The other two suspects with one victim in the Toyota Corolla drove on.
“They turned left on Katboschfontein Road (R50), Sundra, where a cyclist was run over and killed.
“In that collision, the car rolled off the road,” added Tshabalala.
The victim’s brother claims that the suspects then ran away on foot.
He did not sustain any injuries during the accident.
The Toyota was fixed with false plates and was positively linked to another case reported in Kempton Park.
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