Three teenagers are lucky to be alive after a gunman fired at their car in a terrifying daylight road rage incident in Sydney's west, police say.
As traffic had piled up behind, the 18-year-old P-plate driver was forced to mount the pavement to escape and almost ran over three pedestrians.
Two men, one armed with a black pistol, jumped from a white Holden Commodore and advanced on the teenagers' silver Subaru WRX, which had come to a stop on the Great Western Highway at 4.40pm (AEST) yesterday at Werrington, police said.
The armed man fired shots at the car before the pair jumped back in their car and sped off.
The occupants of the Subaru - an 18-year-old male driver and two 16-year-old girls - were unharmed.
Police said a bullet lodged in the rear driver's side door.
Detective Inspector Anthony Horton of St Marys police said the trio were lucky not to have been killed or wounded, particularly the girl in the back seat.
"The occupants of that car are very lucky," he said today. "We are lucky we are not dealing with an investigation into a much more serious offence."
The teenagers have told detectives they were heading along Mamre Road when they were cut off by the Commodore, which contained four men aged in their mid-20s.
As the two cars reached the intersection with the Great Western Highway, one of the men in the Commodore apparently threw a bottle at the Subaru.
The Commodore was then said to have chased the Subaru and pulled alongside it as the front passenger aimed a pistol at WRX's teenage driver, causing him to slam on the brakes.
The Commodore swung around to block the road ahead, and the gunman and his companion jumped out of the car and came towards the terrified teenagers, police said.
As traffic piled up behind the Subaru, the 18-year-old P-plater drove onto the pavement to escape and almost ran over three pedestrians.
"As they've driven around to try and get past the people, that's when the shots were fired," Det Insp Horton said.
Police were keen to speak to any motorists and pedestrians involved in the incident, he said.
They are looking for a white VT model Holden Commodore, possibly a V8, with chrome mag wheels, tinted windows and black and gold number plates.
The four men were described as being of Middle Eastern appearance, all aged around 25, with short, dark hair.
The driver was said to have been wearing a black jumper, and the gunman, who was in the front passenger seat, wore a white jumper and black jeans.
