VERO BEACH — A Stuart man was killed early Saturday morning in a two-vehicle accident at the intersection of Eighth Avenue and 21st Street, according to Vero Beach police.

A preliminary investigation into the 12:44 a.m. accident indicates Joshua Mulhern, 26, of Port St., Lucie, was northbound on Eighth Avenue in a 2002 Kia and failed to yield the right of way to a 2002 Chevrolet truck driven by Jason Hatley of Sebastian that was westbound on 21st Street, according to a police news release.

The truck hit the side of Mulhern’s vehicle, instantly killing the passenger, Geoffrey Robbins, 28, of Stuart, police said.
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FORT PIERCE — A 17-year-old boy was listed in “severely critical” condition at a local hospital Wednesday morning after being shot in the head late Tuesday night, officials said.

Travis Lee Woods, of the 2900 block of Avenue D, was shot about 10:40 p.m. before being taken to a local provisional trauma center in “very critical” condition. (more…)

A 41-year-old bicyclist died after riding into the path of a 2005 Nissan Tuesday night, according to a crash report released Wednesday.

Abel Fierros Hernandez, of the 300 block of North 12th Street, was riding a bicycle about 8 p.m. Tuesday as Veronica Keith Darrisaw, 36, drove the Nissan east on Orange Avenue approaching South 22nd Street.

A witness said Hernandez came off a sidewalk and rode into the path of Darrisaw’s vehicle. The witness said she also had to swerve to avoid Hernandez, who looked as if he had difficulties “steadying himself.” Hernandez’s bicycle didn’t have lights.
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FORT PIERCE — The U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory has been closed since Friday after an employee became ill and remains hospitalized in intensive care, a spokesperson said Tuesday.

About 130 employees at the facility in the 2000 block of South Rock Road were placed on administrative leave following the closure, said Sandy Miller Hays, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service agency.

Hays said the employee, whose identity wasn’t disclosed, reported having a headache last Thursday and left about 4 p.m.

On the way home, the employee got progressively ill, and the employee’s spouse took the employee to Lawnwood Regional Medical Center & Heart Institute, Hays said. The employee remains in intensive care there and is gradually improving, Hays said.

The lab was closed on Friday, and an industrial hygienist was contacted to see if anything in the lab could have caused the illness. The ill employee works on research involving alternatives to methyl bromide, a fumigant that’s been used to protect crops for years but could harm the ozone layer, Hays said.

The USDA also hired a business out of Jacksonville, which on Sunday took a variety of air and other samples over a 12 hour period “looking at every conceivable component in the lab.”

A report is expected back Wednesday. If nothing is out of the ordinary then the lab likely could re-open Thursday.

“We need to rule out that the employee’s illness is connected to something in the lab,” Hays said.

Hays said the county health department was notified, and Larry Lee, health department administrator, said there apparently has been no diagnosis.

The research lab includes a Horticulture and Breeding Research Unit, a Subtropical Insects Research Unit and a Subtropical Plant Pathology Research Unit.

FORT PIERCE — Most people don’t tuck a list of emergency contacts in their pockets when they leave home.

But they usually do carry around their cell phones.

So fire, law enforcement and hospital officials throughout St. Lucie County on Friday kicked off a public awareness campaign reminding residents to program just a few more numbers into their portable phones. (more…)