Man, 33, in critical condition after being shot four times in Emerald Beach

A man is fighting for life after being found inside a black ute with bullet wounds to his chest, arm, shoulder and leg.

A 33-year-old man is fighting for his life after being shot in the chest, arm, shoulder and leg on the NSW mid-north coast.

The man was discovered in a black ute on the Pacific Highway near Emerald Beach by a bystander.

The person called emergency services and said a person had been shot.

NSW Ambulance got the call around 1.15am on Wednesday and transported the man to the Coffs Harbour Base Hospital in a critical condition.

Police have appealed for anyone with information or dashcam footage to get in touch.

Police at the scene near Emerald Beach where a man was found in a car suffering from gunshot wounds.

“Detectives are currently investigating the scene and at this point in time are trying to establish a possible motive for the crime,” Detective Chief Inspector Guy Flaherty said.

Investigators believe the man was shot a few kilometres south of where he was found.

He then drove north before stopping on the highway, where he was later found.

EMERALD BEACH: Pacific Hwy is closed northbound for a Police investigation. Motorists can exit at Settlers Rd, use Solitary Islands Way and rejoin the highway at Sandy Beach.

— Live Traffic NSW (@LiveTrafficNSW) April 6, 2021

The highway crime scene created significant traffic delays on Wednesday morning and through the afternoon.

The Live Traffic NSW Twitter account first reported northbound lanes were shut because of the police operation at 2.30am.

By midday, one lane had opened up but delays were still expected. Traffic was back to normal about an hour later.