A special French terrorism court has opened the trial for the so-called Bastille Day massacre, in which 86 people were killed July 14, 2016, in the southern resort town of Nice, France.

The trial concerns the eight people accused of helping a man plow a heavy truck through an unwitting crowd in the streets of Nice, many of whom were watching a fireworks display on France's national day.

Over the next 3½ months in Paris, incident survivors and mourning loved ones will provide direct and anecdotal testimony related to that evening, when the alleged attacker, Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, killed 86 pedestrians — including 15 children — and injured more than 400.

Lahouaiej-Bouhlel was subsequently shot and killed by French police after partially driving through a crowd of approximately 30,000 people.

Veronique Marchand, whose husband was among those killed in the massacre, said she is still haunted by the fine details of the attack.

"It's this constant replay of the night in slow-motion, every detail of it," Marchand reportedly said in an interview at the courthouse. "I feel as if I'm watching this tape that was recorded, and that it just keeps happening."

According to BBC News, the eight suspects each face a sentencing range of five years to life in prison if found guilty. They are accused of helping the attacker get weapons while also providing logistical support for the attack.

The Islamic State later claimed responsibility for the massacre. But according to reports, French investigators never found any proof that directly linked Lahouaiej-Bouhlel to the group.

Eight months before the Bastille Day massacre, 130 people were killed in Paris in a tri-level terror plot executed by Islamic militants — the deadliest peacetime attack in French history.

Among various reports:

• Three suicide bombers initially struck outside the Stade de France in Saint-Denis during an international football match, after failing to gain access into the stadium.
• A second group of attackers fired guns on crowded cafes, bistros and restaurants. Also, another person detonated an explosive, killing him and others in the process.
• A third group staged a mass shooting at an Eagles of Death Metal concert at the Bataclan theater. According to reports, these attackers were either shot by French police or blew themselves up with explosives.

One notable difference in the Nice trial, compared with the Paris attacks: Only defendants accused of aiding the attacker are still alive, and thus up for judicial proceedings.

For the Nice trial, a reported 865 civil plaintiffs will participate, with nearly 250 prepared to give testimony.

"The fact that the sole perpetrator is not there will create frustration. There will be many questions that no one will be able to answer," according to a lawyer for a victims association taking part in the trial.

• Anti-Terror Prosecutor Warns of Imminent Islamic State Attack on French Soil
• 3 Dead as Woman Beheaded in France Terror Attack; Gunman Killed in 2nd Incident