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Published on Monday, March 31, 2003
in the Palm Beach Post
PALM CITY - By all accounts, the motorist was minding her own business when Florida Highway Patrol trooper B.R. Johnson came upon her Sunday morning at an Interstate 95 rest area in Martin County.
From the looks of it, though, her business did not seem to be standard rest area activity.
In the hot morning sun, she stood in long sleeves and rubber gloves with a hood covering her head. She clutched a rag while hunched over an open car trunk, handling jars of liquids ''as if she was mixing something,'' Johnson said.
Puzzled and concerned, Johnson told the 43-year-old West Palm Beach resident to step away from her Toyota.
''That's when she started informing me I was violating her civil rights,'' Johnson said.
Prompted by earlier calls regarding the woman traveling south down the Space and Treasure coasts, officials evacuated and closed down I-95's Palm City rest area for about two hours while Martin County's hazardous materials team suited up and tested the liquids in her trunk.
The jars contained only dishwater she had used to clean dishes earlier in the day.
She first caught the FHP's attention at a rest area in Brevard County, when a caller told emergency dispatchers she was dressed strangely and carried around containers filled with an unknown liquid or chemical, officials said. Troopers were dispatched to track her down, but she was headed south by the time they got there, Johnson said.
Another call alerted them again that she was traveling through St. Lucie County. They eventually caught up with her in Palm City.
The driver was not charged with any crime, but Johnson said she was escorted to the Palm Beach County line. The woman, who could not be reached for comment, was less than thrilled with the day's events, he said.
''She was reported three times,'' Johnson said. ``It's not like we were harassing her.''
''She was acting odd,'' said Martin County District Fire Chief Jeff Alter. ``We're trained to handle it as being something suspicious.''
Sunday was the second time this month that the Palm City rest area was evacuated due to safety concerns. On March 18, a bomb threat caused the rest area to be evacuated and an eight-mile stretch of the highway to close for about 10 minutes.