Rochester, MN — Olmsted County Attorney Mark Ostrem announced that criminal charges have been filed against Trooper Shane Roper for his involvement in a fatal motor vehicle crash on May 18 at the intersection of Apache Mall Drive and 12th Street SW. The incident resulted in the death of 18-year-old Olivia Flores and injuries to five others.
The charges against Roper include Second Degree Manslaughter and Criminal Vehicular Homicide in relation to Ms. Flores’s death, as well as several counts of Criminal Vehicular Operation for the injuries sustained by the other victims.
At approximately 5:44 p.m. on May 18, emergency responders were dispatched to a crash involving three vehicles and seven occupants at the entrance to Apache Mall. A Minnesota State Patrol unit driven by Trooper Roper collided with a Ford Focus, which then impacted a Toyota Rav4. Ms. Flores died hours later from her injuries, while five other individuals suffered serious injuries. Roper sustained minor injuries.
The investigation by the Rochester Police Department revealed that Trooper Roper, while conducting traffic enforcement, activated his emergency lights and exited a ramp at high speed, reaching 98 mph. He turned off his emergency lights and sirens, accelerating to 83 mph as he approached the mall entrance where the speed limit is 40 mph. Without emergency signals, Roper collided with the Ford Focus as it turned left into the mall, impacting it at full throttle.
The Minnesota State Patrol’s guidelines require periodic high-speed driving training for troopers. Trooper Roper had completed 13 driving training courses totaling 107 hours over his eight-year career. The investigation noted that Roper had engaged in high-speed driving multiple times earlier on the day of the crash.