Man critical after failed hijack
2008-06-04 13:33
Durban - A man was in a critical condition in Durban's City Hospital on Wednesday after a botched hijacking left him with a bullet in his neck.
The incident happened on Tuesday evening, at the intersection of Umgeni and Intersite road.
The man was found in the driver's seat of his Peugeot in the centre island of the road, where he had driven to after being shot.
Paramedics said it seemed to have been a hijacking gone wrong. Unconfirmed eyewitness reports said a man in blue overalls and a balaclava was seen running away from the vehicle shortly before paramedics arrived.
ER24's Derrick Banks said the man was stabilised at Umhlanga Hospital before being assigned to a bed at Durban's City Hospital.
"It's a bad time to be rushed to hospital," said Banks. "There have been many accidents lately and hospitals are full."
According to Banks, there has been a marked increase of road accidents since June 1, with ER24 responding to 11 - 12 accidents a day. He attributed the accidents, which range from fender benders to lethal crashes, to bad driving in rainy conditions.
The injured man, estimated to be in his mid-thirties was still in ICU on Wednesday, according to City Hospital. "He is in a critical but stable condition," said City Hospital spokesperson, Peggy Niemann.
Mayville police station in Durban were investigating the case. Police could not be reached immediately for comment.