Minnesota State Trooper Shane Roper charged in death of Olivia Flores, Owatonna cheerleader just weeks shy of graduating. Trooper has history of fast and inattentive driving as the family lawyer questions how he remained on the force as they now mull a wrongful death lawsuit.
A Minnesota State Trooper with a reported history of driving at excessive speeds has been charged with the death of a a high school cheerleader, after crashing his vehicle at 83 mph in a 40 mph zone into the 18 year old’s car, killing her.
Trooper Shane Roper, 32, was driving without lights or sirens, when he plowed into Olivia Flores’ Ford Focus vehicle, killing her. The teen was just weeks away from graduating.
Flores of Owatonna died and five others were injured in the May 18 crash, according to a statement from Olmstead County Attorney Mark Ostrem released Tuesday.
Approaching like a ‘rocket’
Ostrem alleges it was in the moments just before crashing into Flores that Roper pushed the gas to ‘full throttle’ and turned off his lights and sirens.
Roper, 32, is charged with second-degree manslaughter as well as criminal vehicular homicide, reckless driving and five counts of criminal vehicular operation, FOX9 reported.
Due to the speed, Roper was unable to brake or maneuver his squad car to avoid the collision, the investigation found. The impact sent both cars eastbound through the intersection to collide with a Toyota Rav4.
According to KSTP, one of the crash survivors recalled Roper’s car approaching like a ‘rocket’ toward them as they were near the intersection of a mall in Rochester. Witnesses initially disclosed that Roper was seen driving his trooper vehicle into a Ford Focus as it made a left turn and that the Focus was pushed into a nearby Toyota RAV4. Flores was in the Ford Focus with two others. There were two people in the RAV4.
Though all were rushed to an area hospital, only Flores succumbed to her injuries and died.
Jenna Compton, Flores’ cheer coach, called then teen ‘a shining light’ in a recent interview with KSTP.
How was trooper still on the force?
Disciplinary records show Roper has been involved in four prior crashes while driving his squad car either ‘due to inattentive driving or excessive speed,‘ the filed criminal complaint stated.
In one incident, investigators said he drove over 99 mph multiple times on the day of the crash. That also included driving 135 mph in a 55 mph zone for an emergency call with neither his lights nor his sirens on then, either.
Ostrem said that Roper had a person riding in his vehicle with him at the time of the crash on May 18 and that person was also injured.
When he was allegedly speeding more than 40 mph over the limit on May 18, investigators say Roper was trying to catch up to another driver for a petty traffic offense.
Roper said the pursuit was not active and he was not paying attention to his speed. He told police he did believe his lights were activated.
Flores’ family has requested an independent investigation, questioning how and why the serial abuser was still on the force according to their attorney Thomas Braun.
The family has appealed to the Minnesota Public Safety Commissioner Bob Jacobson, MSP Col. Christina Bogojevic and Gov. Tim Walz to start ‘an open and independent investigation’ into the agency’s policies and procedures to ‘avoid such a senseless and preventable tragedy in the future.’
Wrongful death lawsuit
Bogojevic expressed the department’s condolences and said Roper’s alleged actions are ‘concerning’ because they did not ‘align with the State Patrol’s core values.’
Roper remains on paid investigative leave. He is not in custody at this time and was charged by summons.
‘It is the policy of the Minnesota State Patrol that personnel have a ‘duty to protect all peoples’ lives to the extent possible when enforcing the law,” Ostrem said Tuesday.
‘Trooper Roper violated that policy driving in a grossly negligent manner attempting to catch up to a petty traffic violator on a consistently busy roadway. Trooper Roper, violating his duty in such a gross fashion, caused the death of a young lady celebrating her impending graduation from high school. Several other persons suffered serious injury. Roper’s conduct violated the State Patrol’s Core Values. As with any other person driving recklessly and without regard to very basic rules of the road, Mr. Roper’s conduct cannot be tolerated.’
Flores’ family now plan to pursue a wrongful death lawsuit against the trooper. It remained unclear whether the Minnesota State Patrol would be included as a defendant in the suit.
As of July 10, no suit had yet to be filed.
