WATCH | Dashcam footage of attempted Durban hijacking goes viral

Dashcam footage of an attempted hijacking in Durban has gone viral on social media.

The incident is believed to have occurred at the South Coast Road off-ramp and Himalayas Road intersection in Merebank, south of Durban, on Sunday.

The video shows a vehicle approaching the intersection at 11.54am.

It stops behind another vehicle at the intersection, as a man in a brown hoodie and shorts walks across the road.

The man then produces a firearm and charges towards the driver's side of the vehicle and tries to open the door.

In a split-second decision, the quick-witted and skilled driver reverses the vehicle in an attempt to avoid becoming another hijacking statistic.

A second man, dressed in a blue jacket, cap and shorts, can also be seen walking towards the vehicle. His suspicious movements suggest he might have been an accomplice in the attempted hijacking.

Occupants of the vehicle can be heard screaming as the driver reverses away from the men, at speed.

The man with the gun looks about in confusion, before running into the bush on the side of the road, while the second man also flees.  

Police spokesperson Brig Jay Naicker said a case of attempted carjacking has been opened  at the Montclair police station.

“It is alleged that a 45-year-old male was with his family in their vehicle when two armed males pointed firearms at them and shouted at them to jump out of the vehicle. The complainant managed to reverse and drove off. The suspects fled. No shots were fired and no injuries were sustained,” said Naicker.