Hero security guard saved hundreds of lives and protected Swedish Parliament by driving van into the path of the terrorist’s speeding lorry, forcing him to crash
A QUICK-THINKING security driver has told of the moment he raced into the path of the murderous truck in a desperate attempt to stop the massacre.
Santiago Cueva drove his van straight into the path of the hijacked truck, forcing the suspected terrorist to lose control and halting the terrifying rampage that had targeted children on the popular shopping strip.
The 27-year-old told that he saw people flying through the air as the truck continued down the street in Stockholm, just 500m away from Parliament.
But despite recounting the terrifying "thuds" as the truck veered into terrified crowds on Friday afternoon, Cueva said he was not scared.
He said: "'It was actually a strange feeling when it happened. The lorry was coming towards me and all my focus was on helping protect people in some way. So I drove my van in front of it in order to stop it from getting any further."
One Brit was killed in the attack, while an 11-year-old was also one of the four killed in what Sweden leaders quickly condemned as a terror attack.
But Mr Cueva's bravery meant the driver lost control and was crashed into the department store - potentially saving dozens of lives.
The Ecuador-born Mr Cueva, who moved to Sweden in 1996, said: "The driver must have panicked and lost control.
"The lorry bounced back and forth before it hit the department store. I think the terrorist may have let go of the steering wheel. I am certain that he wanted to continue to kill more people and reach Parliament."
He said that everything happened so quickly, with witnesses screaming in the streets and emergency crews rushing to help those injured.
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But he pushed away the title of "hero", saying he was just doing his "duty".
Mr Cuedo said he was simply glad he was able to help, with the suspected driver arrested soon after the horrific attack.
Police have said that they believe the 39-year-old Uzbekistan man arrested was the driver of the beer truck, which had been stolen as its original driver was in the process of unloading it.
Authorities have also confirmed they are looking into whether some explosive materials were dumped in the truck.
Police have said they were previously aware of the suspect, saying that he was an asylum seeker who had his application rejected in June last year and was wanted for deportation by immigration officials.
Swedish police said that the man was known to have had extremist sympathies - with witnesses today reportedly saying the driver of the truck had set himself on fire trying to detonate the explosive device in the back of the truck before trying to make his escape.
Police official Jonas Hysing told a news conference: "We know that he showed sympathies for extremist organisations, among them IS."
He added: "In December 2016, he was informed by the Migration Agency that he had four weeks to leave the country. In February 2017, the case was handed over to the police to carry out the order, since the person had gone underground."
More than 500 people have been interviewed in the days after the attack.