A man killed on the A2 near Canterbury has been identified as a 37-year-old from Dartford.

The pedestrian was struck by a purple Ford Fiesta opposite the Gate services in Dunkirk at 5.45pm on Friday evening.

As queues of cars came to a standstill, drivers rushed to the man’s side and started performing CPR, but their efforts proved in vain as he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Nigel Back, 36, had been driving home to Faversham when he encountered the immediate aftermath of the incident on the London-bound carriageway.

“I could see a man in lane two and a car in lane one with severe damage to its front and the roof,” he said. “Lots of people ran over to the man so I went to the car to see if the people inside were OK.

“The driver was in a severe state of shock and the passenger was semi-conscious.”

Mr Back, who works at a VW car dealership in Canterbury, called 999 to alert emergency crews.

“My main concern was the passenger, who was complaining about various injuries,” he said. “I was trying to keep her calm and spoke to her family on the phone to let them know what was going on and what hospital she was going to.”

Fire crews arrived on the scene and were forced to use specialist equipment to cut the car to free the passenger.

She is understood to have been taken to Ashford’s William Harvey Hospital for treatment.

Mr Back said that while he was helping the two women in the car, other motorists were performing CPR on the injured man who was from Dartford.

“I’d seen someone doing chest compressions. Then a while after the paramedics arrived they called time on him,” he said.

The gravity of the situation suddenly hit Mr Back, who himself went into a state of shock.

“The paramedics actually had to look after me for a little bit,” he said. “The police wouldn’t let me drive home because they could see I was visibly shaken.

“Needless to say, I didn’t get much sleep that night. Whenever I shut my eyes I think about it. It’s quite traumatising.”

Mr Back was taken home in a patrol car, while his own vehicle was driven back by a traffic officer.

“The emergency services were fantastic,” he said. “They really don’t get enough credit.”

The dual carriageway was closed at the Wincheap junction after the incident, sparking long delays across Canterbury.

Officers from the police’s serious collision investigation unit gathered evidence at the scene and are now appealing for any witnesses or dashcam footage.

Call the appeal line on 01622 798538 or email sciu.td@kent.pnn.police.uk, quoting reference RY/COJ/258/17.