Saturday food truck explosion at Vero Beach Seafood Festival: What we know
The investigation continues into what caused a food truck to explode at the Vero Beach Seafood Festival on Saturday, May 14.
Police say one person was injured in the blast and some witnesses reported smelling propane just before the explosion occurred.
Here's what we know about the food truck explosion at the Vero Beach Seafood Festival, according to Vero Beach police and rescue workers:
When did the food truck explode at the Vero Beach seafood festival?
Police say the explosion happened just before 9 a.m. on Saturday, just an hour before the second day of the three-day Vero Beach Seafood Festival opened in Riverside Park south of the Barber bridge on Orchid Island.
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Which food truck exploded?
The truck that exploded has been identified as 'Michelle's Catch of the Day'. Witnesses reported smelling propane before the explosion, just before 9 a.m., police said.
The 53-year-old Port St. Lucie woman inside the truck, whom police did not name, survived the explosion but suffered severe burns to her arms and legs. The truck's Facebook page is linked to Michelle Dietterick, the co-owner.
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What cause the food truck to explode?
Prior to the explosion, some witnesses told Vero Beach police there was a strong smell of propane coming from 'Michelle’s Catch Of The Day', one of the food truck vendors that had set up at the festival.
Was anyone else hurt when the food truck exploded at the Vero Beach Seafood Festival?
Michelle Dietterick was inside the truck when it happened, setting up and getting ready for the day. She received severe burns to her arms and legs. Dietterick's husband was outside the truck when the explosion occurred and he was not hurt.
Indian River County Fire Rescue and the State Fire Marshal's Office are investigating the cause of the explosion. Police said Sunday the explosion appears to be an accident.
Saturday: Food truck vendor burned in explosion at Vero Beach festival
Sunday: Woman burned in food truck explosion hospitalized
A rescue helicopter flew Dietterick to the burn unit at Orlando Regional Medical Center after the explosion Saturday. She remained hospitalized there through the weekend, police said.
Dietterick was the only person injured in the explosion. She was inside the truck prepping for the day. Her husband, Scott, who co-owns the business, was standing outside when the truck exploded.
He started a GoFundMe page Monday to raise money for her recovery.
Food truck passes first safety inspection
Like all other food trucks and restaurants, Dietterick's truck was required to be inspected by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation for safety and health violations before it could open.
The business passed its most recent inspection March 24 without any violations, according to the department's website, and received its food license the following day, said Patrick Fargason, DBPR deputy communications director.
In the inspection report, the "Flammable/combustible materials" category was left unmarked, meaning there were no issues or violations reported, he said.
How are food trucks regulated?
Food trucks are classified as "mobile food dispensing vehicles," but are regulated by DBPR in the same way restaurants are.
Depending on several factors, restaurants receive one to four inspections a year, according to DBPR. The number of inspections depends on things such as the type of food the restaurant serves, how the food is prepared and whether it has complied with previous inspections.
Michelle's Catch of the Day was classified as Level 2, meaning it was scheduled to have two inspections per fiscal year, Fargason said.
The state has three levels of violations: high, which could result directly in foodborne illness or injury from things such as cooking, reheating, cooling and hand-washing; intermediate, which include personnel training, documentation or record keeping and labeling; and basic, which are considered best practices for restaurants to implement.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Food truck explosion: What happened at the Vero Beach seafood festival
