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In Nice Attack, People Were Diving For Their Lives

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

And let's hear from another witness of last night's massacre in Nice, France. American doctor Kevin Motamedi was in the crowd when a man drove through at high speed, managing to kill at least 84 people. He spoke to NBC this morning, describing the moments just after the attack.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

KEVIN MOTAMEDI: I remember looking up and seeing a wave of people with completely panic-stricken faces running towards me at full steam, screaming at the top of their lungs.

MONTAGNE: Motamedi says at first, nobody knew what was happening.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

MOTAMEDI: We were part of that first wave of people running forward through the streets. And everyone was kind of looking back, trying to figure out what was going on. And we were literally having to grab people and say, run. Go home. Get out of here - because they had no idea what was happening.

MONTAGNE: Mohamedi said it became clear something was really wrong.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

MOTAMEDI: As soon as I took off, we started hearing the gunshots. That made me run even faster. I turned around to make sure I was with the person I was traveling with. And luckily, we got away safe.

MONTAGNE: That's Kevin Motamedi. He was there last night at the attack in Nice, France. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

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