A 20-year-old man was killed after he jumped in front of a vehicle that he and two men allegedly tried to hijack, Port Elizabeth police said yesterday.

A 20-year-old man was killed after he jumped in front of a vehicle that he and two men allegedly tried to hijack, Port Elizabeth police said yesterday.

Captain Anton Beetge said the three men allegedly robbed two Telkom subcontractors of money at KwaZakhele in Port Elizabeth on Wednesday.

"They wanted the keys to the vehicle but the two said they didn't have them. They then took their money and cellphones," he said.

After the robbers left, the two subcontractors got into their vehicle and began to drive off.

"The complainants said the suspects then saw them trying to drive away and came back. One jumped in front of the vehicle and was hit. He died on the spot," said Beetge.

Unconfirmed reports indicated that the robber died after the subcontractors tied him to the vehicle and dragged him along.

But Beetge said police had no official statement from witnesses to this effect. - Sapa