A man believed to be behind the placement of spike traps along the N1 highway was shot and killed in a shootout with police on Friday evening.

Tshwane police flying squad spokesperson Constable Bonhle Rahatji said the man was shot and killed when a shootout ensued between him and his accomplices and the police attached to the highway patrol and saturation units with the aid of a private security company.

“However, three of the accomplices were able to evade arrest,” she said.

According to Rahatji, the deceased and his accomplices had robbed passengers in a minibus taxi which had experienced a breakdown along the highway.

The assailants escaped with the items they had stolen.

“The driver and passengers were waiting for another vehicle to come to their aid when the suspects accosted them,” she said.

The attackers had emerged from a bridge near the Stormvoel Road off-ramp.

In recent months, there has been an increase in the number of cases where sharp spikes were placed across the metro highways at night, and some motorists stopping after being spiked were robbed, often by armed men.