State trooper charged with manslaughter in Rochester crash that killed 18-year-old Olivia Flores

OWATONNA, Minnesota – A Minnesota State Patrol officer was charged on Tuesday in May fatal accident in which an Owatonna High School cheerleader was killed and five others were injured.

The accident occurred at the intersection of 12th Street Southwest and Apache Drive Southwest in Rochester. According to documents, Shane Roper, a 32-year-old police officer with eight years of service, was driving his patrol car “at excessive speed” and without his lights on when he struck a Ford Focus that was attempting to cross the intersection. The impact then caused the two cars to crash into a Toyota Rav4.

Before the crash, Roper was following another driver who he suspected of committing a minor traffic violation. According to the charges, he activated his hazard lights and accelerated to 98 mph on Highway 52 and slowed as he turned onto 12th Street Southwest. When he got onto 12th Street Southwest, he turned off his hazard lights and accelerated to 83 mph in a 40 mph zone.

According to the documents, he was unable to brake quickly enough or avoid the collision, hitting the Ford Focus at a speed of at least 55 miles per hour.

The driver of the Focus said Roper’s cruiser was traveling as fast as “a rocket,” and other witnesses described him as “flying,” “in a split second” and “going at a furious pace.” None of the witnesses heard warning lights or a siren, the documents say.

The passenger in the Ford Focus, 18-year-old Olivia Flores, was killed in the accident. The other two passengers in the Focus were injured, as were the two in the Toyota Rav4. Roper also had a passenger with him at the time, a “fellow passenger,” who was also injured.

In a statement several weeks after the accident, Roper said he was trying to “close the gap” between his force and the vehicle he suspected of the traffic violation. He said he was not being actively pursued, was not paying attention to his speed and thought his lights were still on. Roper added that he was trying to “clear” the intersection before entering it.

The documents show that Roper’s driving record shows four previous accidents due to his “inattentive driving or excessive speed.” Three hours before the fatal crash on May 18, he drove over 99 mph “multiple times” while attempting to initiate traffic stops and once even drove 135 mph in a 55 mph zone without lights or sirens. Court documents also indicate that he has consistently taken driver training courses during his eight years with the State Patrol.

The indictment states that Roper’s driving on May 18 was “grossly negligent” and showed “disregard for the safety and lives of other persons on or near the roadway.”

Roper was charged with second-degree manslaughter, one count of vehicular manslaughter, five counts of vehicular manslaughter, reckless driving and negligent driving. Second-degree manslaughter carries a maximum sentence of 10 years.

“We extend our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Olivia Flores, as well as the other community members affected by this tragic fatal accident,” said Minnesota State Patrol Chief Col. Christina Bogojevic. “The conduct alleged in the criminal complaint is troubling and does not align with the State Patrol’s core values.”

Roper continues to be on paid investigative leave as required by his police employment contract.

Attorneys for the Flores family released a statement that said, in part: “The Flores family finds it heartbreaking and unacceptable that the State of Minnesota allowed Trooper Roper to be on the road in a Minnesota State Patrol car despite knowing that he posed a clear danger to others.”