POLK COUNTY, Fla. — Florida Highway Patrol Troopers arrested a Lakeland driver after being caught on video standing through a moon roof as the car continued to speed down Interstate 4 in Polk County.
An off-duty Hillsborough County Sheriff’s deputy was behind 70-year-old Leonard Olsen when he stood up while driving westbound on I-4 at a high rate of speed, according to an arrest report.
Video captured Olsen standing up in a white Cadillac with his arms spread open around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday.
In a sworn witness interview, the deputy said Oslen “bounced back and forth in the center lane…and sped up to over 100 miles per hour and slowed to about 40 miles per hour.”
Troopers caught up to Oslen on US-98 and Wedgewood Estates Blvd.
When asked why he did it, Olsen told troopers he wanted to praise God.
“I thought it would be a nice way to praise God for a minute, and I thought it would be nice at the time and that’s what I did,” he said, according to arrest records.
He also told deputies the vehicle was in cruise control at the time.
“The car drivers itself and has a gigantic computer in it,” he said according to records.
Before he was detained, Olsen told FHP troopers he’d rather go to jail than go home.
“My wife treats me like a servant and she’s the mistress,” he said. “Lock me up, I’d rather go to jail than go back home.”
Olsen is charged with reckless driving.
He remains booked at the Polk County Jail on a $21,000 bond.
