Left: Lauryn Akey (Griffith-Cline Funeral Home). Right: Dennis Olson (Charlotte County Jail).
A tragic incident unfolded on a Florida highway when a 53-year-old man, driving on the wrong side of the road, allegedly struck and killed a 21-year-old woman. The driver described the night of the accident as particularly “bad.”
The suspect, Dennis Olson, is facing charges of DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide following the fatal collision that claimed the life of Lauryn Akey. According to a report from the arrest affidavit, Olson was operating a Ford F-150 southbound in the northbound lanes of I-75 near mile marker 149 in Charlotte County just after 1 a.m. on May 17.
During his dangerous journey, Olson sideswiped a Kia Optima but continued driving in the wrong direction, as noted by troopers from the Florida Highway Patrol. His vehicle then collided head-on with Akey’s Honda CR-V, ejecting her from the car and leading to her death at the scene, the affidavit recounts.
A witness at the scene assisted Olson out of his truck and observed that he was speaking with slurred words, according to the troopers. When troopers questioned Olson, he allegedly admitted to driving the truck and mentioned he was having a “bad” night. He also stated he had been at “Sip & Sizzle” in Fort Myers, where he claimed to have consumed a single glass of wine.
Authorities conducted a blood test that revealed Olson’s blood alcohol concentration was 0.222, nearly triple the legal limit. Following his discharge from the hospital, he was taken into custody at the Charlotte County Jail, where he is being held without bond.
Akey’s family said she was coming home from attending a wedding. She had just bought gas and texted family members she loved them and that she was almost home. Moments later, she was dead.
Her mother, Melinda Mucho, told reporters her daughter was set to graduate from the University of South Florida next year with a degree in exercise science. She wanted to become a nurse.
“She would have done amazing things,” Mucho said. “Her life was just on the horizon; her life was just getting started with her boyfriend. She was going to graduate next year, and I want everyone to see her and feel that.”
Akey’s friends started the hashtag #lovelikelauryn on social media to honor her memory.
“You can look her up and see how loved she is. I just want everyone to feel that,” Mucho said. “You can feel it by looking at her smile. I want everyone to see her and be like her. She was never mean to anybody. She brought people together, so many people together. Loved hard, loved so hard.”
Olson reportedly has a previous drunk driving conviction in Minnesota, where he also drove the wrong way down a road. His next court date in the Florida case is June 15.