Manhunt on for gunmen who tried to hijack goods truck in Clarendon

 

The police have launched a manhunt for gunmen who attempted to hijack a truck transporting goods along the Bustamante Highway in Clarendon early Thursday morning.

 

The 50-year-old driver was shot and has been hospitalised.

 

Investigators say shortly after 3:00 a.m., the driver exited a warehouse in Old Harbour, St. Catherine with a truckload of wine and other beverages, destined for an all-inclusive hotel in Westmoreland. Sometime later, he observed that his truck was being trailed by a Toyota Probox motor car.

 

Upon reaching the Bustamante Highway, the car drove up beside the truck and the occupants opened fire, hitting the driver in the right shoulder.

 

The wounded truck driver tried to elude the gunmen during a high speed chase.

 

Radio Jamaica News was informed that the driver used the truck to ram the Probox when the men attempted to overtake his vehicle.

 

Both vehicles crashed.

 

It's understood that one of the gunmen again opened fire on the truck driver, this time hitting him in the left shoulder.

 

The wounded driver played dead while the attackers worked on their damaged vehicle.

 

It's reported that a passing motorist stopped to assist and called the fire brigade as the injured driver was pinned in the cab of the truck.

 

The motorist then assisted the men in the Probox to remove their vehicle from under the rear of the truck, not knowing they were gunmen.

 

The hoodlums then sped away from the scene.

 

The firefighters later arrived on the scene and removed the wounded driver from the wreckage.