A South Florida man says he and his family were just feet away from the van that crashed into a crowd of people in Barcelona Thursday, killing at least 13 people and injuring 100 others.
Justin Ritkes, of Weston, said his family was on vacation and was in Barcelona's historic Las Ramblas district when the white van jumped up onto a sidewalk and plowed into the crowd.
"You just never think it's gonna be real until it happens," Ritkes told NBC 6. "And then for me to be half way across the world, I live in South Florida, I'm from Weston. Just to be there in something like that, it's just surreal."
The 21-year-old said he was just 10 feet away from the van. He said people started scrambling for their lives and his family was somehow able to stay together.
Ritkes said they hid in a restaurant as SWAT teams searched the area. When they were finally able to safely leave he said he saw four or five body bags on the ground.
"You never think that you're going to be a part of something like this until you're actually there," Ritkes said.
