COLUMBUS (WCMH) — Engineering professor William Clark said he is thankful to be alive following Monday’s attack on Ohio State’s campus.

Clark said he and his students were outside of Watts Hall after a fire alarm sounded. Moments later, he heard a scream and a loud crash.

“The perpetrator’s car had mounted the curb and hit one of those large concrete planters on the curb and bounced off. That did enough damage to stop the car,” Clark said. “As it was stopping, it clipped the back of my right leg.”

The professor said he couldn’t believe what he saw next.

“He began to attack students, and there was a lot of noise and a lot of shouting,” Clark said.

Injured by two deep cuts on his right leg, the professor started to limp back inside the building.

“Before I can get to the back end of the building, which was only probably 20 yards away, I heard the three shots that the officer fired and took down the assailant,” he said.

Clark said he would hold judgement about the assailant, Abdul Razak Ali Artan, until more facts are known about his motives.