A Minnesota state trooper is facing charges for a crash that killed a teenager and injured five people outside a Rochester mall, 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 on a street where the speed limit is 40 mph. 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.
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The complaint said Roper, who also had a "ride along" with him, was trying to catch what it called a “traffic violator” but didn't provide details.
The driver of the Ford Focus struck by Roper's squad car described the speed of the vehicle as “a rocket" in a criminal complaint obtained by NBC affiliate station KARE 11. Other witnesses described the speed as “flying,” “in a blink of an eye,” and “hauling a--.”
“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.
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According to KARE 11, Roper gave a statement to law enforcement saying he was attempting to "close the gap" between his squad and the vehicle he was pursuing, but said it was not "an active pursuit." He added that he wasn't paying attention to his speed and thought his emergency lights were on.
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.
