Repeat drunken-driving offender accused of killing honors college student heading home from wedding

Repeat drunken-driving offender accused of killing honors college student heading home from wedding

Dennis Lee Olson, 53, was previously convicted of driving while impaired in Minnesota in 2019, reports say

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A Florida man is behind bars after an alleged wrong-way crash killed a college student earlier this month.

Dennis Lee Olson, 53, of Lehigh Acres, is facing charges of DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide after a collision cost a 21-year-old college student her life, according to FOX 13.

The incident unfolded just after 1 a.m. on May 17, when traffic cameras reportedly captured the moment Olson’s Ford F-150 allegedly made an improper U-turn into the northbound lanes of I-75 in Charlotte County and slammed into two oncoming vehicles.

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Dennis Lee Olson, 53, faces charges of DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide in Charlotte County, Florida. (Charlotte County Sheriff's Office)

The collision killed Lauryn Akey, a 21-year-old University of South Florida student, and left the woman driving the second vehicle and her 12-year-old and 15-year-old passengers with serious injuries, according to the outlet.

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Lauryn Akey, 21, was fatally struck by an alleged drunken driver in Charlotte County, Fla., on May 17, 2026, after texting her family she had gotten gas and loved them while driving home from a wedding. (Lauryn Akey Obituary)

Authorities said Olson’s blood alcohol level was allegedly .222 at the time of the crash – roughly three times the legal limit in Florida, according to FOX 13. He was previously convicted in 2019 of driving while impaired and sentenced to two years of probation in Minnesota, the outlet reported.

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Dennis Olson allegedly made an improper U-turn into northbound lanes of I-75 in Charlotte County and collided with two vehicles just after 1 a.m. on May 17. (Florida Highway Patrol)

Olson allegedly told officers at the scene that he was returning from "Sip & Sizzle" in Fort Myers and was having a "bad" night, according to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital.

Akey was driving home from a wedding at the time of the fatal collision, and had texted her family just minutes before the crash to tell them she had gotten gas and that she loved them, FOX 13 reported.

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Lauryn Akey was set to begin her senior year at the University of South Florida, where she studied exercise science and maintained a 4.0 GPA, according to her obituary. (@lauryn.akey/Instagram)

The Illinois native was set to begin her senior year at USF, where she studied exercise science and maintained a 4.0 GPA, according to her obituary. She planned to pursue a career in nursing after graduation, her family added.

"She would have done amazing things," Akey’s mother, Melinda Mucho, told FOX 13. "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."

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Following his arrest, a Charlotte County judge reportedly ordered Olson be held without bond, with the state attorney's office indicating he could face additional charges.

He is scheduled to appear in court on June 15, according to court records.

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"By planning ahead, this tragedy could have most certainly been avoided," Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Ken Watson told FOX 13. "Now, we have several families who have been destroyed, including the driver himself, who is now looking at several years behind bars."

Fox News Digital reached out to Florida Highway Patrol, Olson's attorney and the Charlotte County State Attorney’s Office for comment.

Julia Bonavita is a U.S. Writer for Fox News Digital and a Fox Flight Team drone pilot. You can follow her at @juliabonavita13 on all platforms and send story tips to julia.bonavita@fox.com.

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