Man leaves his girlfriend in critical condition at hospital after fleeing wrong way crash

PRICE, Utah— A man was arrested Saturday after causing a wrong way crash, then abandoning his girlfriend at the hospital to flee police.

The man was identified as Jakob Olsson.

The crash occurred on March 12 in Utah County after Olsson drove the wrong way on US-6 near the northbound ramp to I-15 in Spanish Fork. His 2017 Dodge Journey crossed the center divider and collided head-on with a Freightliner truck before hitting another car, a silver Toyota Yaris.

Two people, (including Olsson,) were transported by EMS to Utah Valley Medical Center, one in critical condition.

Upon arrival, the suspected driver of the Dodge Journey fled before troopers could arrive.

Court documents state, ” Because the suspect fled the hospital before any blood was drawn or any other treatment began, there were no biological samples to obtain from the hospital
to serve as evidence. The second individual involved underwent extensive surgery and is currently intubated to assist with their breathing, and is, therefore, unable to be interviewed to gain further information. Trooper Roman informed me that the primary suspect had identified himself to the medical personnel at the hospital, giving the name of Jakob Trea Olsson.”

The name they received matched the insurance located in the Dodge Journey, which was found to be registered to Olsson through a records check.

One of Olsson’s friends contacted UHP and told them she had received a call from Olsson asking her for a ride from the hospital.

The friend told UHP that Olsson’s “nose was “split-open” and bled frequently and that there was “a cast” on his right hand and frequently mentioned that he was in a lot of pain.”

According to court documents, “during the drive to Price, Olsson admitted vaguely that he was involved in a car accident and that his “….girlfriend was in a coma.” He explained further that Olsson was otherwise in and out of consciousness and frequently said things that didn’t make sense.”

When troopers finally made contact with Olsson in a phone call he “admitted to sustaining injuries in the car crash incident in question. He also admitted to leaving the hospital with knowledge that his passenger, the victim, was gravely injured, and explained that “he heard from a nurse at the hospital that [the victim] was going to survive” so he left the hospital because he was “getting evicted” from his house in Nevada and needed to collect his belongings in time.”

Using a search warrant to track Olsson’s phone, law enforcement was able to locate him at a residence in Price, Utah. He was brought in for questioning and “admitted that he was driving the Dodge Journey during the incident that occurred on March 12, and claimed that he fell asleep, causing him to cross into oncoming traffic and collide with the semitruck.”