(WTNH) — A man from New Haven was one of the people near where the attack happened in Barcelona on Thursday.
Arnaldo Falcon arrived in Spain on Wednesday for a month-long vacation. News 8 spoke with him over the phone. He says the van that slammed into people in the city nearly hit him.
“I turn around and I see the van like racing by me,” he said. “It was a good four feet away from me.”
Falcon saw the first responders arrive and went to a hotel nearby for safety.
“Somehow I was really calm because I was in so much shock about what had just happened,” he said.
Meanwhile, experts say attacks like this one can be tough to prevent. Unlike with most weapons, an attacker doesn’t need special training or much planning to use a vehicle.
“There have been only 23 attacks since 2002 where a vehicle was used, so it’s a very rare event,” said Kenneth E. Gray, a lecturer at the University of New Haven who also worked for the FBI for more than 20 years.
Falcon says he’s still in shock about what happened, and that many of the residents are too.
“Barcelona is known for being so safe,” Falcon said. “The lady that I’m staying with here in Barcelona says this is the first thing that has ever happened like this. She’s been here for 25 years.”
Falcon has another month in Spain. He is nervous about the rest of his trip, but is trying to stay positive so he can enjoy it.
