Orange Park, Fla. — What began as a quiet afternoon for local sports card collectors inside Luckiest Man Sports Cards in Orange Park quickly turned terror when a vehicle plowed through the storefront, sending glass flying across the store.
At about 2 p.m. Friday, a surveillance camera video captured a car going through the front door. The alarming video shows the car jumping the sidewalk then going through the glass window and door.
“It was honestly kind of like watching a slow-motion movie,” said co-owner Alyssa Gehrig. “We at first heard the noise of basically the concrete... then they ran over the bushes, and that’s when you just heard the glass shatter of them going through the whole window.”
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The sudden impact sparked instant panic. Customers scrambled for cover, diving out of the path of the incoming vehicle. Customers are seen on tables and looking at display cases moments before the car entered the shop. A few customers nearly missed getting run over.
“We see the showcase toppling over and a guy just running,” recalled co-owner John Gehrig. Alyssa added, “just started jumping over tables, and that’s when I was like, ‘I don’t know what’s happening right now.’”
The store, which the Gehrigs have operated for nearly five years, suffered visible structural damage. Police have not yet made a report of the incident available.
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Black skid marks now streak the floor leading up to a scarred wall where displays used to house high-value trading cards. The damage is initially estimated to be between $20,000 and $30,000, but owners say they are still assessing the damages.
While financial losses are expected to rise as damages are fully assessed, John Gehrig noted that heavy display cases recently installed in the store likely saved lives.
“Thankfully, we had just gotten those cases like three or four months ago, which slowed that car down,” he explained. The heavy units absorbed the bulk of the momentum before the vehicle slammed into the back wall.
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Despite the crash, only one customer sustained minor scrapes. Everyone in the store and the person driving survived without serious injuries.
“Things can be replaced, but people can’t,” Alyssa Gehrig said. “That was our main concern.”
The shocking event transformed into a testament to local solidarity within hours of the social media post showing the car coming through the business. As news of the crash spread, regular patrons rushed to the store not to shop, but to grab brooms, haul debris, and offer helping hands to board up the shop.
Alex York, a customer who has frequented the shop for two years, drove from St. Augustine and was ready to help.
“I drove all the way back here just to come see if there was anything I could do to see if I can help and clean up,” York said. “I love this place and I love the people in it, and they deserve all the help they can get.”
For the Gehrig’s, the outpouring of love has provided a steady deep emotion to the owner, who was in tears recalling the day. “It’s just been nice having the community behind us, just checking in,” Alyssa reflected.
Luckiest Man Sports Cards plans to maintain its normal business hours while repairs are underway. Owners say they will be there around the clock to get business back to normal. Some scheduled in-store events have been canceled as cleanup continues.
The owners remain determined to keep their doors open to the community that stepped up to help them.
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