JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A family-owned countertop shop off Emerson Street is once again picking up the pieces after yet another car tore through its property, the seventh crash in two years.

It happened in early November, shortly after midnight. For Vicky Marcal, who helps run Duval Finest Countertops, the phone call was all too familiar.

“The car came really fast,” Marcal said, pointing to fresh tire marks near the edge of the business’ lot. “I’m so glad this tree was here.”

The driver, according to Marcal, was traveling more than double the 40-mph speed limit, about 85 mph, before barreling through the company’s fence. The business had only recently finished major repairs from an earlier crash after a car launched off Emerson Street, slammed into a tree, then careened into the building.

See Full Page