Troopers said the accused driver’s blood alcohol level was nearly three times Florida’s legal limit.
PUNTA GORDA, FL — A Lehigh Acres man was charged after troopers said he drove drunk the wrong way on Interstate 75 in Charlotte County, causing a four-vehicle crash that killed a 21-year-old Bradenton woman and seriously injured three people early Sunday.
The crash has brought a felony case against Dennis Lee Olson, 53, and left investigators focused on how his Ford F-150 ended up facing oncoming traffic in the northbound lanes. The Florida Highway Patrol said Olson faces charges of DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide. He was booked into the Charlotte County Jail after being treated for injuries.
The crash happened at about 1:13 a.m. Sunday near mile marker 150 on northbound I-75. Troopers said Olson was driving a 2020 Ford F-150 south in the northbound lanes when the pickup hit a 2016 Kia Optima and a 2012 Honda CR-V. A 2023 Tesla Model 3 later hit debris from the wreck. Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Ken Watson said the crash followed “a horrible decision,” adding that it “cost someone their life and seriously injured three other people.”
The Honda driver, a 21-year-old woman from Bradenton, died at the scene, troopers said. Authorities had not released her name as of Tuesday. The Kia driver, a 34-year-old Arcadia woman, and two boys, ages 12 and 15, were taken to a hospital with serious injuries. The Tesla driver, a 19-year-old Sarasota woman, was not injured, though her car had minor damage. Olson had injuries described by troopers as non-incapacitating and was taken to a hospital before his arrest.
Troopers later released additional details showing the wrong-way movement began before the impact. They said state traffic cameras near mile marker 150 captured the Ford making a U-turn into the northbound lanes of I-75. The crash happened about one minute later near mile marker 148.5. Investigators said Olson’s blood alcohol level was 0.222, almost three times the 0.08 legal limit for drivers in Florida. Troopers first identified Olson as a Sarasota resident, then corrected his residence to Lehigh Acres.
The case is being handled by the Florida Highway Patrol’s Traffic Homicide Division. Olson remained in the Charlotte County Jail without bond after the crash, according to local reports. He was scheduled for a first court appearance Monday morning. It was not immediately clear whether prosecutors would file additional counts or whether the injured victims’ conditions had changed. Troopers said the investigation remained open, which means crash reconstruction, toxicology records, camera footage and vehicle evidence may become part of the case file.
Watson said the crash damaged several families in a matter of seconds. “By planning ahead, this tragedy could have most certainly been avoided,” Watson said. He said Olson now faces years behind bars if convicted. Court records from Minnesota show Olson had a prior impaired-driving case there in 2019, when South St. Paul police arrested him on a misdemeanor DWI count. Records cited in local reports show he was placed on probation and later completed a Mothers Against Drunk Driving course.
Larry Coggins, state director for Mothers Against Drunk Driving, called the crash preventable and said impaired-driving cases continue to take lives on Florida roads. “This is a situation that is 100% preventable,” Coggins said. “This is becoming more of a norm unfortunately, where we have impaired drivers and intoxicated drivers that have zero care and concern for themselves or for everybody else.” Troopers said the crash shut down part of I-75 for several hours while crews treated victims, cleared debris and documented the scene.
As of Tuesday, Olson was facing DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide charges, the Bradenton woman’s name had not been released, and three Arcadia residents remained listed by authorities as seriously injured. The next major step is the continued traffic homicide investigation and the filing of formal court records in Charlotte County.
Author note: Last updated May 19, 2026.