Witnesses said the 20-year-old, named locally as Quhey Saunders of Stanford-le-Hope, Essex, was left unconscious after a fight broke out between two groups of people when he pulled up at Cobham Services in Surrey.
He airlifted to St George’s Hospital, Tooting, London, but was pronounced dead yesterday after the 'horrifying attack'.
Police have today launched a murder enquiry after his life support machine was switched off last night.
Two men left the scene in a white van which was later found abandoned in Chessington, and has been recovered by police.
Tributes have poured in for the man, who has been described as a 'lovely boy' and who joked about working as a male escort on his Facebook page.
Writing on social media, friend Shannon Crossley said: 'Rest in peace Quhey. Such a lovely boy. Taken far too soon. Life isn't fair. Heart goes out to his family & close friends.'
His girlfriend, Larosa Smith, posted a heartbreaking tribute to Mr Saunders on social media, accompanied with photographs of him having fun with his friends.
She said: 'He wasn't just my boyfriend he was my best friend, my full life.
'I'm so lost without him, knowing I can't just ring his phone and hear his voice or fall asleep on the phone like we did every night. Even when we'd argue we would ring each other and not talk, just go to sleep on the phone. It's the little things [that] mean the most.
'I love you with all my heart my Quhey.'
Hours before his death was announced, his friends and family posted supportive messages on Facebook hoping he would pull through.
Retired soldier Rafael Francis, 53, was on his way to work for a delivery company at 3.15pm on Monday when he saw the fight break out.
Speaking to the Evening Standard, he said: 'I don’t know what started it, but there were lots of vicious punches and kicks being thrown. They were shouting about getting a gun, that’s when I tried to get involved.'
He added that he could only watch as the man started being hit in the head with a shovel but later his training 'kicked in' and he screamed for an ambulance while trying to stem the blood.
He said: 'His mother kept asking me if I thought the boy was going to make it, I couldn’t look her in the eye. There was just too much blood.'
Senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Jo Hayes, of Surrey Police, said: 'This was a horrifying attack at a busy petrol station on the M25, and I am sure that there are people who saw what happened but have not yet spoken to my officers.
'This is now a murder investigation, and we are pursuing all avenues of enquiry to bring those responsible to justice. I would like to speak to everyone who refuelled at the petrol station, or visited the shop, between 3pm and 3.30pm on Monday 26 June.
'In particular there is a man shown in the store on CCTV wearing military or camouflage clothing who could have very valuable information for the investigation.
'If this person is you, please come forward. There are reports of people filming on mobile phones during the altercation, and immediately afterwards, and it is imperative that we get hold of their footage.
'There were vehicles on the forecourt during the fight, and I want to speak to those drivers, and view any dashcam footage they may have.
She added: 'Finally, although we have recovered the van, we still need to piece together its movements.
'The van is described as a white Peugeot Partner Van, registration NX63 VLP, with a roof rack and ladder strapped to the roof.
'If you saw the van between 3.30pm on Monday and 10am this morning, or have information about the driver and their whereabouts, please contact us as a matter of urgency.'
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