A civil servant has told how a quiet Saturday morning shopping trip with his wife turned into a desperate rescue mission to save a man’s life.

Emergency services have praised Vic Haywood and other bystanders who rushed to the aid of a van driver when he collapsed at the wheel after a suspected heart attack, crashing into a wall in Gravesend.

And while the 58-year-old is also thankful to those who helped out, he says other drivers were far closer to the accident, and he was disgusted to see cars driving around the critically ill man’s van.

“We were travelling from Asda through to West Street,” said Mr Haywood.

“There was a queue of cars in front and, as we edged forward, we saw them going around a van in the middle of the road.

“As we got close we thought there was something wrong, so we stopped and got out.

“I was disgusted by people going round. As I got there, there were two or three of us.

“The van was filling up with smoke and we found the driver slumped across the front seats.

“With two other guys we got the driver out, rang the emergency services and put him in the recovery position.

“They said to carry on doing CPR – so we did until the medics arrived.”

The Strood resident thanked others who helped out – including an Eastern European man who directed traffic around the accident, two other ladies, and 23-year-old Tom Osmond – who had been looking out of the window of his flat in nearby Clifton Road when he saw the van hurtle out of Stuart Street and into the wall on West Street.

The Gravesham council worker also didn’t think twice in rushing immediately to the scene, where he helped perform CPR and remained on the phone taking instructions from ambulance crews.

“I don’t know what happened inside the van, but he just went straight into the wall and collapsed over the wheel,” he said.

“I ran down straight away and was immediately on the phone to the ambulance. I don’t like to say it but he looked dead; he wasn’t breathing – that’s when myself and Vic started performing CPR. It was both of us for the first minute and then he took over.”

The van driver, a man aged in his 50s, was later taken to King’s College Hospital, London, and is still receiving treatment.

Investigating officer PC Simon Masterson said: “We are grateful to members of the public who helped give first aid to the injured man at the scene. Their actions were selfless and provided important support for the medical crews.”

A spokesman for the ambulance service said: “We would like to thank and say well done to those involved in helping the man prior to our arrival. Their actions would have been vital in ensuring he has the best chance of survival.”