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Journalism student escaped Nice terror attack by ‘just minutes’

A journalism student missed the Nice terrorist attack by just minutes – after deciding to go to bed early.

Melissa Johnson, a fashion journalism student at the University of Sunderland, avoided the tragedy in which 84 people were killed after Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel drove a lorry into a crowd celebrating Bastille Day in the French city.

Melissa, 24, and her 29-year-old boyfriend Kieran Richardson had been present at the celebrations but left just 10 minutes before the attack began.

She told the Sunderland Echo, who she contacted on social media, she feels “lucky to be alive” after her narrow escape.

Melissa Johnson, left, and Kieran Richardson

Melissa Johnson, left, and Kieran Richardson

Melissa added: “It was only when we switched on the news we realised what had happened. I called my mum straight away.

“We heard ambulance sirens going past and, when we looked out on the balcony, we saw people running down the main street.

“We had our suspicions then that something bad might be happening.

“It was only when we switched on the BBC news that we realised the enormity of what had happened.”

The couple had only decided to leave early due to tiredness after taking an early morning flight on Thursday, the day the attack took place.

Melissa said: “If we had been on a later flight, we would have stayed out later and we could have been caught up in it. It is frightening to think that it could have been us.

“I rang my parents straight away and said were safe at the hotel. My mum hadn’t even seen what had happened at that stage.”

The couple decided to remain in Nice despite the tragedy, and were due to return home today (Tuesday).

10 comments

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  • July 19, 2016 at 9:52 am
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    Really pleased that this couple came to no harm. But a couple of points do strike me as a lifelong journalist:
    Couple were not involved in the incident, didn’t see what happened and were somewhere else at the time – isn’t this a non story?
    And….most journalists I’ve worked with would have gone outside to find out what was happening when they heard all the sirens and saw people fleeing. Sorry Melissa, you missed a big news event!

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  • July 19, 2016 at 11:06 am
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    Observer50 – she is a fashion journalism student, darling, so no news values need apply. And agree; it is non-story.

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  • July 19, 2016 at 1:33 pm
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    Ah thanks Citizen – hadn’t spotted the fashion bit! There was me thinking the poor girl had missed probably the biggest news story she will encounter in her career and if she had nipped out she might well have been the first reporter on the scene – certainly the first British journalist able to file back to this country’s major media outlets.

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  • July 19, 2016 at 1:37 pm
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    Well said Observer50. They thought ‘something bad might be happening.’ But didn’t investigate. Beyond belief. It is indeed a non-story, so why draw attention to themselves?

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  • July 19, 2016 at 2:17 pm
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    I went to Nice when I was boy. I guess I’m lucky to be alive!

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  • July 19, 2016 at 3:22 pm
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    Luckily I was in Surrey at my mum’s on the night in question but watched the news unfolding on TV. But if I had have decided to go to Nice that day (a city I’ve never visited but it could have happened) then everything may have been completely different – like this website used to be before you had to register to comment.

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  • July 20, 2016 at 8:48 am
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    In common with every other trade media site (those that allow comments, anyway) and almost all regional newspaper websites, Dick.

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  • July 20, 2016 at 11:00 am
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    This is the second non news story of the day to be given a presence on HTFP along with the JP ‘ we have telesales people waiting to speak to anyone who wants to ring us’ one earlier

    I can only assume nothing of note is happening or the regional press is in a state of such stagnant decline that the chaos in all the major players is now seen as the norm, leaving the door open for this kind of irrelevance

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  • July 22, 2016 at 9:34 am
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    If I had missed the scoop of a lifetime I would keep very quiet about it.
    Furthermore what is this former Poly doing running so-called journalism courses like this. I can only hope it is self-financing and does not cost the public one penny. What next? Courses in how to write gushing prose when taking advantage of a free hotel stay, restaurant meal or spa session. But, hang on, judging from countless articles in many newspapers and magazines those courses are already being run somewhere.

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