The Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog
An off duty deputy allegedly spotted an elderly man driving down the Interstate while seated atop his vehicle’s open sunroof with his arms in the air.
Near 1:00 pm, the deputy began to record the seemingly carefree spirit with his cam. The man can be seen with arms extended to his sides while his hair blows in the wind from the momentum of the vehicle’s alleged speed, which was reported as 100 miles per hour.
When 911 was alerted by the deputy, Highway Patrol located a vehicle that they believed was the car being operated by the suspect.
A traffic stop was performed, and it was revealed that the driver was 70-year-old Lakeland resident Leonard Olaf Olsen.
The video recorded by the onlooking deputy was reviewed, and it a man wearing a bright blue shirt while on top of a white car that appears to be in motion can be seen. Based on the recording and the interaction with Olsen and the police believed they had enough probable cause to charge him as the perpetrator of the event.
Olsen, who was not carrying any passengers in his vehicle, allegedly said he didn’t remember being seated on the sunroof while the car was in motion. He later allegedly changed his story and said that he had set the cruise control feature on the car and felt the urge to “praise God for a minute.”
The officer placed Olsen under arrest for his allegedly daring worshipping practice, and he is facing reckless driving charges.
It was reported that there were no injuries or accidents as a result of the event that Olsen has been accused of.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a driving offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.