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, reportedly driving the wrong direction, struck and killed a 21-year-old woman during what he later described as a “bad” night.
Dennis Olson faces serious charges of DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide following the fatal collision that claimed the life of Lauryn Akey. According to the arrest affidavit, Olson was driving a Ford F-150 southbound on the northbound lanes of Interstate 75 near mile marker 149 in Charlotte County, shortly after 1 a.m. on May 17.
As reported by the Florida Highway Patrol, Olson initially sideswiped a Kia Optima but continued driving in the wrong direction. His vehicle then collided head-on with Akey’s Honda CR-V, leading to Akey being ejected from her vehicle. Tragically, she was pronounced dead at the scene.
A witness assisted Olson out of his truck and noted his slurred speech, as detailed by troopers. Upon speaking with Olson at the scene, he allegedly confessed to driving the truck and mentioned he was experiencing a “bad” night. He claimed he had been at “Sip & Sizzle” in Fort Myers, where he consumed a single glass of wine.
Authorities conducted a blood test on Olson, which revealed a blood alcohol content of 0.222, nearly three times the legal limit. Following his hospital release, Olson was taken into custody and is currently held at Charlotte County Jail without bond.
According to her family, Akey was returning home from a wedding when the accident occurred. Just before the crash, she had refueled and sent her family a text expressing her love and noting she was almost home. Sadly, moments later, her life was cut short.
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.
