A Florida man, Dennis Lee Olson, 53, from Lehigh Acres, has been arrested following a wrong-way crash that resulted in the death of a 21-year-old college student, Lauryn Akey. Olson faces charges of DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide after the incident on May 17, which occurred around 1 a.m. Traffic cameras captured Olson's Ford F-150 making an improper U-turn into the northbound lanes of I-75 in Charlotte County, colliding with two oncoming vehicles.
Akey, a University of South Florida student, was killed in the crash, while the driver of the second vehicle and her two passengers, aged 12 and 15, sustained serious injuries. Authorities reported that Olson's blood alcohol level was .222 at the time of the crash, approximately three times the legal limit in Florida. He had a prior conviction for driving while impaired in Minnesota in 2019.
Olson allegedly stated to officers that he was returning from an event in Fort Myers and described his night as 'bad.' Akey had been driving home from a wedding and had texted her family shortly before the crash. She was set to begin her senior year at USF, where she maintained a 4.0 GPA and planned to pursue a nursing career after graduation.
Following his arrest, a judge ordered Olson to be held without bond, and he is scheduled to appear in court on June 15. Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Ken Watson commented on the tragedy, emphasizing that it could have been avoided with proper planning.