THE man whose truck was hijacked to commit the horrific terror attack on the Berlin Christmas markets desperately tried to stop the terrorist as he lay dying.

Brave Lukasz Urban, 37, tried to wrestle the wheel out of the terrorist's grasp with reports out of Germany now suggesting that the Polish driver continued his efforts to stop the mass murderer even as he bled out from stab wounds.

10 Lukasz Urban is now believed to have been alive during the terror attack with reports suggesting he tried to stop the terrorist

10 Lukasz Urban, the 37-year-old driver of the lorry which was hijacked during Berlin attack Credit: AP:Associated Press

An investigator told Bild news that there "must have been a fight" despite initial reports that the Polish father had been killed before the terror attack that saw a killer plough into crowds in Breitscheidplatz Square.

It is understood the terrorist stabbed the truck driver several times to stop his valiant attempts to halt the attack that killed a dozen people and injured about 50 others.

Photos of Mr Urban in his last moments seem to suggest he was fighting with the terrorist before being fatally shot.

10 The truck was ambushed while Lukasz stopped to get a kebab Credit: Getty Images

The 37-year-old truck driver's body was found in the truck's cabin after the attack with the murderer fleeing from the scene.

The terrorist is believed to have seized his chance to ambush the driver when he spotted him nipping to buy a kebab.

German officials showed grim photos of the dead lorry driver to his shattered family back in Poland so they could identify him.

His cousin Ariel Zurawski, owner of the trucking company Lukasz worked for, said: “It was really clear he was fighting for his life.

“His face was swollen and bloodied. Police informed me that he had suffered gunshot wounds. Despite being stabbed he was shot dead.

“I believe he would not give up the vehicle and would defend it to the end if he were attacked.”

A post-mortem confirmed he was knifed several times. And detectives also believe he fought desperately to save his life.

Lukasz’s articulated truck was loaded with 25 tons of steel.

10 Ariel Zurawski shows a picture of his cousin Lukasz, who fought for his life after being stabbed but was shot by the jihadist Credit: PAP

He was ambushed after driving to drop it off at the Thyssenkrupp Schulte depot on an industrial estate in west Berlin.

It is less than three miles from the scene of Monday night’s terrorist atrocity.

The depot — which is next to a centre where migrants and asylum seekers are processed — informed Lucasz when he arrived at 7am on Monday that he was a day early. He was told to wait with his delivery until 8am the next day.

So he parked up close to a canal nearby. By 2pm he was hungry so nipped to a kebab restaurant 300 yards away called the Amrumer Grill.

10 Ariel told how his cousin's wife had to travel to Berlin to identify the body, but could not go through with it Credit: AP:Associated Press

The Turkish restaurant’s manager said: “Loads of lorry drivers come here.”

It was to be Lukasz’s last ever meal. He paid £2.10 — and CCTV captured him sitting down at a table to tuck in.

An hour later he called his wife Zuzanna but she was at work so could not talk to him.

When she tried calling him back later on Monday afternoon there was no reply.

Lukasz’s cousin told how a GPS tracker fitted to the hijacked truck allowed his firm back in Poland to monitor it.

He said: “It was started up, turned off, driven forward, then backward — as if somebody inside was learning how to drive.”

10 The lorry was driven into Christmas markets in the German capital, killing 12 and injuring at least 50 others Credit: Getty Images

He is convinced Lukasz, who was strong and 6ft 2in, was attacked by more than one person.

Mr Zurawski said: “This is a double tragedy for the family. Two years ago his brother killed himself.

“Now their father has been taken into hospital suffering from shock.”

Mr Zurawski described his cousin’s wife Zuzanna and 17-year-old son as “very distressed”.

He said: “They have had no support from either Germany or Poland. No psychologists, specialists — she is on her own.”

10 Ariel said his cousin's wife and teenage son have received no support since the attack Credit: Getty Images

Last night Zuzanna was in Germany after being asked to identify her husband’s body in the morgue.

She was too upset to go through with it so got another family member to perform the grim task.

Her husband’s cousin, speaking outside his house in the village of Sobiemysl in north west Poland, said:

“Lukasz’s plan was to be home by Thursday and prepare presents for Christmas.

“When I spoke to him he was saying it was a strange area of Berlin because it was full of Muslims.

“The only Germans he came into contact with were those at the depot.”

10 Mourners lay tributes in Berlin Credit: Getty Images

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Staff at Thyssenkrupp refused to comment yesterday.

The company later said in a statement: “We learned with dismay of the events at the Berlin Christmas market.

“Our sympathies and condolences go to the victims and their families.

“The truck that was driven into the Christmas market was carrying goods for Thyssenkrupp Schulte’s Berlin branch.

“It was structural steel that was supposed to be shipped out today by an external carrier. The truck already called in at the Thyssenkrupp branch yesterday but could not be unloaded as it was too early. Thyssenkrupp is supporting the local authorities in their investigations.”

10 Berlin police are still searching for the culprit, having already released one suspect Credit: Getty Images

A source confirmed: “He turned up early but was told he couldn’t drop the steel off.

“He was told he would have to do it the next day. So he went for a kebab and a nap.”

Last night — almost 24 hours after the atrocity at the market — police carried out a fingertip search of the area where it is believed Lukasz was ambushed.

Artificial lights were brought in as darkness fell.

Eleven uniformed officers painstakingly scoured the pavement and undergrowth.

The canal that runs alongside the steel warehouse was also checked.

A police source said: “They may be searching for weapons or bullets.”

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