Michael Olanoff has seen it all.
Sex, drugs, black-out drunks, brides, grooms, bitter divorcees, exhausted workers and sunburned tourists who can’t remember their name, much less their hotel.
A Key West cab driver for 27 years, “Oly” has watched unimaginable drama unfold in the backseat of his cab. But at 4 a.m. on April 20, a different kind of drama nearly ended his life.
A 19-year-old drunk driver was doing 70 mph on North Roosevelt Boulevard when he crossed the center line and hit Olanoff’s cab, which was going 40 mph, head-on.
Olanoff’s ankle was crushed when the engine came toward the driver’s seat, the bone broken through the skin. His shoe filled with blood and he fought to remain conscious as he climbed out the passenger door.
The other driver, who would blow a 0.20 — twice the legal limit — walked away uninjured from his crushed Camaro, said Olanoff, who can’t walk or drive for at least four to six months.
“I’m so lucky to be alive; there’s no doubt about it,” he told the Keys Weekly on April 30, 10 days after the crash. “I feel like Keith Richards. I beat bladder cancer last year, and this is my first serious accident in 27 years of driving a cab overnight in Key West. I’m so fortunate.
“But I’m really worried about my financial situation,” he said, adding that the other driver doesn’t have sufficient insurance to cover his medical costs, which include surgery and physical therapy.
Other cabbies had warned their fellow drivers of the Camaro’s erratic driving that night, Olanoff said. And they had seen the car parked for hours at a local bar, where he presumably was underage and overserved, said Olanoff, who is pursuing legal options. But that could take months, or years.
So once again, the Key West community is stepping up to help one of its own.
Longtime locals Paul Menta and Steve Eierman have launched a GoFundMe account to help Olanoff and his wife of 30 years, Betty, with medical, legal and living expenses while his livelihood is on hiatus.
“Some people just drive a cab to earn money, but for Oly it’s about helping, getting people where they need to go, making sure tourists get to the right place and learning something about everyone he meets,” Menta wrote in the GoFundMe description. “Whether they’ve had one too many drinks, gotten lost or were just having problems, Oly gives friendly advice and has been known to drive around for a long time to find somebody’s house or hotel. He’s a very kind-hearted man. … People depend on him, and he’s part of what makes this community and Key West so special. He is part of that Key West soul we all think is gone, but it’s alive and well in people like him.
“This man has given a lot and never asked for anything in return. We’re hoping the karma of his last 30 years and what he’s done for people will result in some funds to help him make it through this tough time.
“When we reach our goal we’ll all know we’ve helped one of our own who has helped so many (even if they don’t always remember it).”
