INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — A 30-year-old man was critically injured after he walked along the railroad tracks and was struck by a Brightline train at the Eighth Street railroad crossing, deputies said. "The (crossing) arms were down," said Lt. Kevin Jaworski, a spokesperson for the Indian River County Sheriff's Office. The incident happened about 6 p.m. Sunday at the crossing at Eighth Street between U.S. 1 and Old Dixie Highway, Jaworski said. The crash happened south of the Vero Beach city limits. Jaworski said the man was flown to HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital in Fort Pierce. Deputies closed Eighth Street for about 30 minutes. "Deputies and railroad officials are on scene working to determine the cause of the crash," Jaworski ...
INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Axel Hallstrom, a Swedish botanist, meticulously cultivated fruits including pineapples, along with vegetables at his 100-acre farmstead more than a century ago. On this historic land - located adjacent to the Hallstrom House - grows a variety of native plants including sand pine scrubs, scrub oaks, live oaks, scrub hickory, dune sunflowers and saw palmettos. Now, residents can visit the property, known as the Hallstrom Farmstead Conservation Area, to enjoy walking trails, host events at picnic pavilions, utilize an outdoor classroom and take in the sights at the wetland boardwalk. The nature preserve, along with the Hallstrom House which now operates as a museum, gives history lovers a double dose of life and culture dating back ...
FELLSMERE — A portion of County Road 512 that collapsed from heavy rainfall during Hurricane Milton - leaving a large hole in the roadway - reopened to motorists on Friday. The street now has two new, 60-inch concrete pipes to handle rainwater with a capacity of 276 cubic feet per second, according to county officials. The new pipes will last for the next 50 years. Addie Javed, public works director for Indian River County, called the installation a "long-term fix" instead of a temporary one. "This has been a one-of-a-kind project in terms of collaboration. Having so many agencies involved, sometimes it can take a while to make sure everybody is on the same page in getting the project completed ...