Minnesota police officer charged in crash that killed 18-year-old

A Minnesota State Patrol trooper accused of speeding without lights or sirens and subsequently killing an 18-year-old in a crash was charged with manslaughter and negligent homicide on Tuesday.

Police officer Shane Roper was “driving recklessly and without observing basic traffic laws” when he collided with a Ford Focus in Rochester in May, killing Olivia Flores, said Olmsted County District Attorney Mark Ostrem.

Roper was charged Tuesday with second-degree manslaughter and negligent homicide, as well as other counts of reckless negligence, Ostrem said.

The fatal accident occurred on May 18 at around 5:44 p.m. near a shopping center in Rochester, a city of around 121,000 residents in the southeast of the state. Shortly before the accident, he was reportedly driving 83 miles per hour in a 40-mile zone.

“Trooper Roper so grossly neglected his duty and caused the death of a young woman who was celebrating her upcoming high school graduation,” Ostrem said in a statement.

Roper, 32, was on duty, stopped on a freeway ramp to conduct traffic enforcement and sped off “after observing what appeared to be a minor traffic violation,” a Rochester police officer wrote in an affidavit that is part of the criminal complaint.

Roper then exited the highway and drove east on 12th Street SW at 83 mph in a 40 mph zone as he approached an intersection leading to Apache Mall, the police document said.

An oncoming Ford Focus attempted to turn left toward the mall when he and Roper had the green light; at that point Roper crashed into the passenger side of the Focus, authorities said.

Flores was in the back seat of the Focus and died from her injuries. Prosecutor Ostrem said Roper was “grossly negligent” in driving so fast on a busy road, a minor traffic offense.

Witnesses described Roper’s car as “flying,” and no one reported hearing sirens or seeing lights, police wrote in the affidavit.

The criminal complaint and a statement by Olmsted announcing the filing of criminal charges do not specify what “minor traffic offense” was involved.

Roper told police investigating the accident that he believed his lights were on, the Rochester police officer wrote in the affidavit.

“Roper stated he attempted to ‘clear’ the intersection before entering it,” the officer wrote in the document. The affidavit states that a large SUV traveling in the same direction as Roper and entering the left-turn lane “at least partially obstructed” the view of the left-turn lane where the Focus was located.

Attempts to reach Roper Tuesday evening were unsuccessful. Court records do not indicate he had an attorney. An initial court date was scheduled for August 29.

The Minnesota State Patrol did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday evening. The Associated Press, citing a patrol spokesman, reported that Roper is currently on paid leave.