A prison officer is fighting for his life following a targeted shooting Friday night near Piarco Plaza, just moments after completing his shift at the Maximum Security Prison in Arouca.

Govindra Balgobin, 38, of Barrackpore, was reportedly ambushed while seated in his parked vehicle shortly after 8 p.m. Two armed criminals approached and opened fire before fleeing the scene in a white station wagon. Balgobin was shot multiple times and was rushed to hospital in critical condition.

Police said the fleeing gunmen sped off along the Churchill Roosevelt Highway but lost control of their vehicle near Trincity. The car went airborne, crashing into a light pole in the median. One of the suspects was flung from the vehicle and was subsequently taken to hospital under police guard. A firearm was recovered from the wrecked car. Dashcam footage of the crash and dramatic aftermath has since gone viral on social media.