Berlin attack: Donation page for family of murdered Polish lorry driver raises £170,000 in six days
Fund set up to raise 'several hundred pounds' massively exceeds target after pledges flood in
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Your support makes all the difference.A campaign to raise money for the family of a Polish lorry driver murdered during an attack on a Berlin Christmas market attack has raised more than £170,000 in the six days since it was set up.
Lukasz Urban, 37, was shot and stabbed after the attacker hijacked his truck and drove it into the crowded market, killing 12 and injuring 50.
The trucker was reportedly on his way home to his wife, Zuzanna, and their 17-year-old-son when he was attacked.
Dave Duncan, a British lorry driver from Otley, West Yorkshire, set up the fundraising page after reading reports of how Mr Urban had fought with the terrorist seconds before the truck ploughed into the crowd.
The suspected attacker, 24-year-old Tunisian Anis Amri, was shot dead by police in Italy four days after the attack.
The donation page has now raised over £171,000 after more than 10,000 people gave money.
Mr Duncan, its creator, wrote: “Although I did not know Lukasz, the story of his untimely departure shocked and disgusted me, and I cannot comprehend how his family feel at this awful time.
“So, as a fellow trucker, I decided to reach out to the trucking community and beyond to help in some small way.
“No amount of money will bring Lukasz back, but hopefully it will help his family do whatever they need to do.”
After thousands of donations flooded in, Mr Duncan said he was “overwhelmed by people’s kindness” and praised the “amazing generosity from everybody literally all around the world”.
He had “started this with the intention of raising a few hundred pounds for the family” but has now seen that target far exceeded.
The British lorry driver said he had been in touch with Mr Urban’s company with a view to transferring the money to his wife. He has also asked the Polish Embassy for assistance in getting the fund to the family.
Investigators said Mr Urban’s injuries were consistent with him being alive and fighting with his attacker in the moments before the truck crashed into the crowded market.
A unnamed police officer told German newspaper Bild: "He must have put up some fight."
Officers think Mr Urban was wrestling with the attacker when he was shot dead. He had also been repeatedly stabbed.
His cousin, Ariel, who owns the trucking company that employed Mr Urban, told the Daily Mail: “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.”
The truck was hijacked after Mr Urban reportedly stopped for a kebab. Isis has claimed responsibility for the attack.
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