VERO BEACH — A woman injured Saturday morning in a food truck explosion at the Vero Beach Seafood Festival remained hospitalized Sunday, a Vero Beach police spokesman said.
The 53-year-old Port St. Lucie woman sustained severe burns to her arms and legs during the incident, which happened just before 9 a.m., said Master Officer Darrell Rivers.
“Prior to the explosion, some witnesses advised that there was a smell of propane prior to her going inside the food truck,” Rivers said Sunday.
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Rivers said the woman remained hospitalized Sunday. She was flown to a burn unit in Orlando for treatment.
The food truck was identified as Michelle’s Catch Of The Day, and was a vendor at the festival in Riverside Park.
Rivers said the food truck is owned by a husband and wife. The husband was outside, while his wife was inside the truck, setting up and getting ready for the day when the explosion occurred. The husband was not hurt, Rivers said.
In a short phone conversation Sunday, the husband declined to comment, saying he needed to get to the hospital to see his wife. Rivers said Sunday the incident appears to be an accident.
Police declined to disclose the woman’s name, but the business’s Facebook page, linked to a woman named Michelle Dietterick, was full of comments from people and fellow business owners wishing her a speedy recovery.
Will Greenlee is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow Will on Twitter @OffTheBeatTweet or reach him by phone at 772-267-7926. E-mail him at will.greenlee@tcpalm.com
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