The Lebanon County sandwich shop is struggling to stay open while the family recovers from an accident

LEBANON COUNTY, Pa. (WHP) – A sandwich shop in Lebanon County has barely been able to stay open since a car accident nearly killed two family members.

Hoagies on Main in Palmyra said it is now much more focused on family.

“You never really know how much you care for someone until they’re almost dead,” said Dylan Hummel, the owners’ son.

It was a scary moment for Hummel, who said he was at work last Wednesday when he heard his fiancée Samantha and stepson Hunter were hospitalized.

They were in critical condition after a truck crashed into them on Route 22 and Sand Beech Road.

“They were both trapped in the car and my son buckled up, climbed through the back seat, out the back door and then yelled for people like, ‘Help my mom, help my mom,'” Hummel said. “Her foot.” was actually stuck under the dashboard, causing her shoe to rip off and leaving her with a gash down to the bone on the heel of her foot.

“She always said, ‘There’s something in my shoe, there’s something in my shoe.’ She didn’t even have her shoe on, just her heel – the heel of her foot – dragging on the ground as she walked our son to the side of the road to get her to safety,” he said. “If anything had gone differently, there’s a good chance neither of them would be here today. Everything had to happen exactly as it happened for them to still be here. ”

More than a week later, Hummel’s stepson is home, but his fiancée is still in the hospital and relies heavily on the family’s help.

The situation also poses a challenge for the family as they try to help Samantha recover while keeping their store running.

“People don’t realize that being closed for just one day can cost a small business weeks,” Hummel said.

But despite all the chaos, the close-knit community remained steadfast in their support.

“A lot of people saw the Hoagies post on the main page. They said, ‘Don’t worry about opening, guys. We love you. Just take care of yourselves.’ ”

The crash reminded this local business that family is everything.

“Hold on to the people you love and don’t let them go because you never know when they won’t be here anymore. “Just love everyone you can and do what you can for people,” Hummel said.

Hoagies on Main has a donation jar, but there is also information for a cash app that can be found on the shop’s Facebook page.

According to one of the owners, Hummel’s mother Michelle Anderson, all of the money will go toward medical bills or anything else Hummel’s family needs to get through this difficult time.