Six months after a head-on collision on State Route 59 in Somerville that killed 33-year-old Gabrielle Boone, her family says they still do not have the answers they are demanding from prosecutors. They say driver Olen Rhea fled the scene, left an 11-year-old in his wrecked vehicle, and then bonded out within days. Relatives say officers found an empty vodka bottle in Rhea's car and argue that his prior DUI record should have barred him from driving at all. For now, they are counting down to the next court date while pushing authorities for tougher action.
According to Action News 5, the Tennessee Highway Patrol says the two-vehicle crash happened just before 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 4. The station reports troopers later found Rhea barefoot in a nearby wooded area and recovered an empty vodka bottle from his vehicle. Rhea was arrested on multiple counts, including vehicular homicide, driving under the influence, reckless endangerment, and leaving the scene, the outlet adds.
Family members tell local reporters that Rhea posted a roughly $250,000 bond and was released in early January under strict pretrial conditions, including a requirement to remain home when he is not at work and to wear an alcohol-detecting bracelet. Investigators have said he was only allowed to drive if an ignition interlock or breathalyzer was installed in the car, but no device was found in the BMW he was driving, per WREG. The same report says the district attorney's office has reset the criminal case to July 8, 2026, and told the family it will keep them updated as the matter moves forward.
At a small memorial last week, relatives described their frustration and grief. "I want justice; he should be in jail," Brittany Dillard told WREG. Family members said they tried to save Boone at the scene and now want prosecutors to explain why the pretrial conditions allowed Rhea back behind the wheel.
Legal status and what’s next
Rhea remains charged with vehicular homicide, reckless endangerment, driving under the influence, and related offenses, according to Action News 5. Prosecutors and defense lawyers are scheduled to return to Fayette County court on July 8, when the case is expected to move to its next step.
Ignition interlocks, prior DUIs, and why the family says the system failed
The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security lays out ignition interlock rules and restricted-license requirements that judges can impose for DUI offenses, including timelines for interlock use and revocations. That official guidance helps explain why relatives say the absence of a required device in Rhea's vehicle is central to their push for tougher pretrial monitoring. As the July hearing approaches, family members say they will continue to press prosecutors for clarity on release conditions and whether more should be done to prevent repeat impaired driving.
