West Palm Beach Daily: Student Walkouts, Protest Injury, and Intracoastal Rescue

West Palm Beach, FL — February 17, 2026 — A wave of student activism, a protest-related injury, and a dramatic Intracoastal rescue top today’s news around the city.

Hundreds of students join anti-ICE walkouts

Hundreds of Palm Beach County students walked out of class on Monday as part of coordinated protests against federal immigration enforcement. Demonstrations were reported at multiple high schools, including campuses in and around West Palm Beach.

Students carried signs, chanted, and marched along nearby streets to call attention to immigration raids and family separations. Organizers described the walkouts as student-led, with teens saying they wanted to show support for immigrant families and push adults to pay attention to their concerns.

The Palm Beach County School District emphasized that it did not sanction the protests and reminded families that leaving campus without permission violates the student code of conduct. Officials said their priority remains campus safety while acknowledging students’ rights to express their views outside the school day.

Minor injured during protest near Palm Beach Lakes High

One of Monday’s demonstrations turned serious near Palm Beach Lakes High School, where West Palm Beach police say a student was struck by a vehicle during the walkout along North Military Trail.

Officers and fire rescue crews responded, and the student’s injuries were described as non-life-threatening. Police are investigating the circumstances of the collision, including traffic conditions and how the march was taking place along the roadway.

The incident has sharpened concerns about safety during unsanctioned walkouts, with law enforcement and school leaders urging students to plan demonstrations in ways that keep them out of traffic and in closer coordination with adults.

Good Samaritan rescues truck occupants from Intracoastal

In a separate incident early Sunday, a pickup truck plunged into the Intracoastal Waterway off North Flagler Drive near Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard. West Palm Beach police say the vehicle left the roadway and ended up fully submerged just off the seawall.

Before first responders arrived, a Good Samaritan jumped in and helped pull the driver and a passenger from the sinking truck. Both occupants, along with a bystander injured by crash debris, were taken to local hospitals for evaluation.

Police say alcohol may have been a factor in the crash, and the investigation is ongoing. Dive teams and fire rescue crews assisted with recovery of the vehicle and checked the waterway to ensure no one else was involved.

Looking ahead

City officials and school leaders are expected to watch for additional student demonstrations in the coming days, while traffic investigators continue to piece together the details of both the protest collision and the Intracoastal crash.