ROCHESTER — Olmsted County Attorney Mark Ostrem announced on Tuesday, July 9, that criminal charges were filed against Shane Elroy Roper, 32, a Minnesota state trooper involved in a crash that resulted in five people being injured and the death of 18-year-old Olivia Flores.
According to the criminal complaint, Roper is charged with one count of second-degree manslaughter, one count of criminal vehicular homicide, and three counts of criminal vehicular operation, all felonies.
He is also facing two gross misdemeanor counts of criminal vehicular operation, one count of gross misdemeanor reckless driving, and one count of misdemeanor careless driving.
The release said the Rochester Police Department found that Roper activated emergency lights and exited the Sixth Street Southwest ramp onto Highway 52 at 98 miles per hour in an attempt to catch a traffic violator before exiting onto 12th Street Southwest. He then turned off his emergency lights and sirens and accelerated to full throttle, reaching 83 miles per hour.
The speed limit on 12th Street Southwest is 40 miles per hour.
ADVERTIsem*nT
According to the criminal complaint, Roper quickly approached the intersection of Apache Drive Southwest, an area where the primary entry points to the Apache Mall are located. This area tends to have "very active traffic ... on a typical Saturday."
When Roper's car was 400 feet from the intersection, the squad camera showed a green traffic signal for eastbound traffic. A larger SUV also traveling eastbound entered the left turn lane to go onto Memorial Parkway Southwest, obstructing the view for vehicles turning onto Apache Drive Southwest, the complaint said.
A Ford Focus with three passengers in it was in that turn lane and attempted to drive through the intersection.
"Due to Roper's excessive speed (traveling 83 miles per hour and at full throttle up until 1.4 seconds before impact), when the Ford Focus started through the intersection, Roper was unable to sufficiently brake or maneuver his squad car to avoid the collision," the complaint said.
Roper's squad car hit the passenger side of the Ford Focus while traveling at least 55 miles per hour. The impact sent both cars eastbound through the intersection to collide with a Toyota Rav4. There were two people in the Toyota.
Witnesses told police that the oncoming vehicle was "flying." Witnesses did not see or hear emergency lights or a siren.
Maya Giron / Post Bulletin
The rear passenger in the Ford Focus died from blunt-force injuries during the crash, the complaint said. The individual was previously identified as Flores, the Owatonna teen just days from her high school graduation.
According to the complaint, the Ford Focus driver sustained a liver laceration, a bruised kidney, and numerous additional minor injuries. The front passenger sustained a broken pelvis, lacerated kidney and other minor injuries. The passengers of the Toyota Rav4 sustained physical pain from the collision. In the squad car, Roper had a ride-along passenger who sustained rib bruising and multiple fractures from the crash.
ADVERTIsem*nT
Weeks after the incident, Roper confirmed to law enforcement that he was attempting to "close the gap" between his squad car and a vehicle suspected of being in violation of a traffic code. Roper said it was not an active pursuit and that he was not paying attention to his speed. He told police he did believe his lights were activated.
Law enforcement revealed that three hours before the collision on May 18, Roper accelerated to over 99 miles per hour while attempting to initiate traffic stops. There was a consistent pattern of Roper reaching and maintaining high speeds without activating his emergency lights at all or turning them off while driving at high rates of speed.
The complaint said Roper was also found traveling at 135 miles per hour in a 55-mph zone on May 18 in response to a medical assistance call.
"On the way to this call, he noted to his passenger that medical assistance likely would not be needed and that driving in such a manner was normal behavior for him," the complaint said.
A release from the Olmsted County Attorney's Office said the Minnesota State Patrol has specific guidelines and policy related to high-speed driving.
"Over the course of his 8-year career, Trooper Roper has attended approximately 13 driving training courses for a total of 107 hours," the release said.
Olmsted County Attorney Mark Ostrem said in the release Roper's "conduct cannot be tolerated."
"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," Ostrem said in the release.
ADVERTIsem*nT
Col. Christina Bogojevic, chief of the Minnesota State Patrol, released a statement, sharing the State Patrol's condolences with the Flores family and those affected by the fatal crash.
"The conduct alleged in the criminal complaint is concerning and does not align with the State Patrol’s core values. The announcement of charges marks the next steps in the judicial process related to this case. We respect that process and cannot comment further due to ongoing criminal proceedings," Bogojevic said in the statement.
Roper remains on paid investigative leave in accordance with the troopers' labor contracts.
