Speeding car plows through store’s door, pins customer to wall, Florida video shows

A speeding car followed a customer through the front door of a Florida convenience store, pinning the victim against debris at the back wall, surveillance video shows.

It happened at 12:24 a.m. on Tuesday, June 20, at a Travel Centers of America in Seffner, just east of Tampa, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office says.

The crash was not an accident, officials said, but details of a motive have not been released.

“At the time of the crash, a pedestrian was entering the store and was hit by a vehicle driving at a high rate of speed, pinning him between the driver’s side door of the vehicle and a metal structure,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release.

“Both the driver and the victim were transported to Tampa General Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.”

Video shows just 4 seconds passed between the time the Kia Forte entered the parking lot and the crash.

It is seen entering the door just feet behind the customer, who is picked up in a wave of debris and carried through the store.

Once the car comes to a stop, the customer’s arms are seen reaching out from between metal beams and crumpled produce displays. His identity was not released.

“The footage of the car smashing through this business and straight into a victim is jarring, to say the least,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said in the release.

“It is an absolute miracle that the person pinned by the car did not sustain more serious injuries, and we’re glad to hear he will be OK.”

Detectives have “determined the crash was not accidental,” resulting in a 37-year-old Floral City man being charged with criminal mischief of $1,000 or more, officials said. Bond was set at $2,000, jail records show.

This story was originally published June 21, 2023 at 12:40 PM with the headline "Speeding car plows through store’s door, pins customer to wall, Florida video shows."