The Polish driver of the lorry that ploughed into the Berlin market was still alive after the attack and was shot dead just before the hijacker fled, say reports.

It is believed Lukasz Urban, 37, was beaten and stabbed before the lorry was driven by the hijacker at the market in Breitscheidplatz on Monday evening killing 12 people.

He died from a gunshot wound and was found in the truck's passenger seat.

Image: Twelve people died when the lorry rammed into the market

He worked for his cousin Ariel Zurawski's transport company in northern Poland and had been come from Italy to deliver steel beams.

Zurawski was shown a picture of his injuries which suggested he had been alive until he was shot after the attack, Bild newspaper reported.


He told the newspaper: "It was terrible. There were bruises, his face was swollen. It looked like a fight."

"One person would not have been able to overpower him," Zurawski said of the relative he had grown up with, a heavyset man who weighed 120 kilos (265 pounds) and stood 183 centimetres (six feet) tall.

Image: Anis Amri is being hunted by German police

At around 3pm on Monday Urban spoke briefly to his wife and the couple agreed to talk again an hour later but they never did.

According to Zurawski, GPS data from the vehicle showed it had been driven, but only made small movements "as if someone was learning how to drive it".

An investigator told Die Welt newspaper that the suspect drew a knife and stabbed the driver several times, possibly because the Pole grabbed the steering wheel in an attempt to save people.

Police are still looking for the hijacker and said they are now hunting a Tunisian man after finding an identity document in the truck.

Der Spiegel reported that the document, believed to be asylum office papers, contained the name of Anis Amri who was born in Tataouine, Tunisia, in 1992.

Lorry killer on the run as Berlin mourns

A 23-year-old Pakistani asylum seeker was detained and released because of a lack of evidence in the aftermath of the attack in the German capital.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack.

Read more

:: Tunisian man 'identified as Berlin attack suspect'

:: Italian woman thought to be among victims

:: Everything went dark...there was screaming

:: Security reviewed at Christmas events in the UK