Two drivers charged with road racing and causing a fatal accident, have pled no contest to the charges, court records show.
Steven McKuhen, 31, and Billy Yates, 25, will face lengthy prison sentences for charges of vehicular homicide and participation in an unlawful race, when they are sentenced on Sept. 29.
The fatal crash occurred on US 441 north near NW 30th Lane and the Dollar General store on November 24, 2020, the Florida Highway Patrol said.
McKuhen was driving a 2002 Dodge Ram 2500 pickup. Yates was driving a 2019 Ford F-350. Both were headed north bound, troopers said.
The crash report said Yates was driving 96 miles per hour just seconds before the crash.
The driver and lone occupant of a third vehicle, Edward McGlammory, 77, was killed.
Eye witnesses said it appeared to two trucks were racing.
Yates and two minor children in the truck suffered minor injury. McKuhen suffered serious injury.
The mandatory minimum sentence for these crimes under the plea deal would be 16 years in prison and $2,500 in fines for both defendants.
Neither man had any prior criminal record. The scoresheet called for a prison sentence of 176 months.
The Okeechobee County Board of County Commissioners honored the 12 and under Ozone All Star team for winning the Dixie Youth Florida State Championship.
The team is competing this week in the national championships in Lexington, South Carolina.
Okeechobee Sheriff Deputies have pieced together a fight among teens that occurred in June.
Deputies charged Ashley Martin with one count of tampering with evidence.
The deputies also applied for warrants to charge Martin with crimes like criminal mischief, disorderly conduct, possession of a firearm by a person under 18 and aggravated assault.
There was no action taken on those charges as of today.
A juvenile was taken to HCA Raulerson Hospital June 25 and the 16-year-old claimed he had been struck with a brick. He had a head injury and road rash down his right side and waistline.
The juvenile said he was assaulted by five people after a neighborhood dispute.
The victim said all of the suspects wore masks. Deputies also inspected the crime scene and located three bullets, a baseball bat and a metal pole at or near this location.
Surveillance videos from nearby homes were inspected and they appeared to show five people striking the victim. Three bricks were seen in the assault.
The beef was over an Instagram live session and verbal insults, the arrest report said. A firearm was also used by not located.
Martin admitted to her involvement and told deputies she helped the boys hide the gun and magazine also telling them not to talk to law enforcement.
An estimated $60,000 in property and person loss was reported after a double wide mobile home fire at 4619 SE 27th Street.
Okeechobee County Fire Rescue responded Sunday night just after 8 pm to find light smoke coming out of the kitchen rooftop as they arrived. No one was home at the time.
The firemen quickly put out the small fire. They located seven dogs in the home. The fire was contained to the stove and vent area.
The American Red Cross responded to assist the family.
Firemen said it appeared one of the dogs got on top of the stove and accidentally turned it on catching some seasoning bottles on fire.
The Martin County environmental oversight committee recommended the county spend $5 million to conserve the 1,941 acre Bar B Ranch in Central Martin County.
Florida Forever, will contribute $12 million, toward the conservation easement.
Supporters said the ranch can help the St. Lucie Estuary, Indian River Lagoon, Lake Okeechobee and the Florida Everglades.
The committee said the ranch would be converted into 95 new homes otherwise.
It is unlikely there will be public recreation allowed on the property as the cattle ranch operation will continue.
A small plane had a rough landing at the Okeechobee County Airport on Sunday afternoon.
Werner Tiessen, 76, of Port St. Lucie was the only one on board the plane.
A report from the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Department said the small plane bounced the tail which cased the aircraft, a 2023 AJ Sport aircraft, to go side to side.
The plane suffered damage to the propeller, landing gear, both wings, the nose and tail. There were no injuries reported.
A dispute over rent may have sparked a confrontation where an Okeechobee man made death threats and fired a shotgun into the air.
Jay Plummer was held on $40,000 bond accused of two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He lives on NE 65th Terrace near Fort Drum.
Alcohol may have been a factor in the incident. The victim claimed he gave the man $60 to rent a room. The landlord accepted the payment, left the residence, came home and drank alcohol.
The arrest report also reported that Plummer pointed one firearm at the victim, tried to shoot off one gun that misfired, and then fired a shotgun into the air while standing just outside the entrance to the residence.
There were no injuries reported.
