Man from Acton Accused of Killing Dog Walker While High
Laszlo Dancs ran over Olivia Riley on Cheyne Walk
Olivia Riley and two of the family's dogs. Picture: Met Police
May 22, 2023
A 28-year-old man from Acton is due to appear at the Old Bailey to face charges relating to the death of a woman who was hit by a car he was driving.
The fatal collision occurred on Saturday 14 May 2022 when Olivia Riley, aged 41 from Suffolk, was walking her family’s three dogs on Cheyne Walk in Chelsea early in the morning.
She was hit by an Audi TT being driven by Laszlo Dancs of Heathfield Road. It has been alleged that he was over the drink drive limit and high on drugs at the time. The police say he refused to give a breath test when asked and that subsequent tests revealed that he had benzoylecgonine in his system which could be indicative of recent cocaine use. A blood sample was also said to have a reading of 137 milligrams of alcohol compared to the legal limit of 80 milligrams.
Ms Riley, who is the stepdaughter of best-selling author Lucinda Riley died at the scene as well as the two Labradors and a golden retriever that she had been walking.
Her stepmother, for whom she had worked as a literary assistant, had died the previous year and her family say she was still mourning her loss.
The case will begin on Tuesday 23 May.
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