Minnesota trooper charged in crash that killed an 18-year-old

By The Associated Press

(WDIO)

ROCHESTER, Minn. (AP) — A Minnesota state trooper is facing charges for a crash that killed a teenager and injured five people, a prosecutor announced Tuesday.

Olmsted County Attorney Mark Ostrem said in a news release that Trooper Shane Roper, 32, was charged with second-degree manslaughter, criminal vehicular homicide and other counts. Roper does not yet have a listed attorney.

The accident happened May 18 in Rochester. A criminal complaint said Roper was driving without his emergency lights or siren activated and reached a speed of 83 mph (134 kph) on a street where the speed limit is 40 mph (64 kph). His squad car struck a Ford Focus that was making a left turn into a mall parking lot, and those vehicles struck a Toyota Rav 4, Ostrem said.

Olivia Flores, 18, a passenger in the Ford, died hours later. Five others suffered serious injuries. Roper had minor injuries.

The complaint said Roper was trying to catch what it called a “traffic violator” but didn’t provide details.

“As with any other person driving recklessly and without regard to very basic rules of the road, Mr. Roper’s conduct cannot be tolerated,” Ostrem said.

State Patrol Col. Christina Bogojevic, in a statement, expressed condolences to relatives of Flores and to others impacted by the crash. She called the allegations “concerning” and said Roper is on paid leave while the case plays out.