Current:Home > InvestMinnesota trooper accused of driving 135 mph before crash that killed teen -Infinite Edge Capital
Minnesota trooper accused of driving 135 mph before crash that killed teen
View
Date:2025-04-27 11:24:42
Prosecutors in Minnesota have filed criminal charges against against a state trooper who allegedly caused a three-vehicle crash this spring, killing a woman and injuring five other people.
Shane Elroy Roper, on duty at the time of the fatal wreck, stands accused of speeding without lights or sirens in the May 18 crash that killed 18-year-old high school student Olivia Flores, Olmsted County Attorney Mark Ostrem said.
Roper, who suffered minor injuries in the crash, is charged with second-degree manslaughter and criminal vehicular homicide in connection to Flores' death and multiple charges of criminal vehicular operation related to the other victims.
The wreck took place just before 5:45 p.m. near a mall in the city of Rochester in the southeastern portion of the state. Authorities claim Roper, 32, was driving 83 mph in a 40 mph zone just before the crash, according to a criminal complaint obtained by USA TODAY.
“Roper, violating his duty in such a gross fashion, caused the death of a young lady celebrating her impending graduation from high school,” Ostrem announced in a statement issued Tuesday.
98 mph: Trooper 'accelerated to a full throttle'
A preliminary crash investigation revealed a Minnesota State Patrol vehicle driven by Roper was stopped on a highway entrance ramp conducting traffic enforcement when he activated his emergency lights and exited the ramp at a high rate of speed reaching 98 mph, according to the statement, "attempting to catch up to a traffic violator," before exiting onto 12th Street Southeast.
Exiting the ramp onto the street, Roper turned off his emergency lights and sirens and accelerated to full throttle reaching 83 mph approaching an intersection leading to the Apache Mall, the statement continues.
The patrol vehicle T-boned a Ford Focus turning into the mall, and one or both vehicles were then pushed into a Toyota Rav4.
"Investigation revealed that Trooper Roper did not come off the full throttle until the Focus started into the intersection, approximately 1.4 seconds before impact," the statement reads.
Trooper in Minnesota fatal wreck reached speeds of 135 earlier in day
Emergency personnel extricated and providing medical treatment to the occupants of the Focus and Rav4, prosecutors said. All victims in those two vehicles were taken to a hospital where Flores died a few hours later.
The other five victims suffered serious injuries including broken bones and other major injuries, Ostrem said.
Investigation revealed that at least four times earlier in the day, Roper also "engaged in high-speed driving without emergency lights, in one instance reaching a speed of 135 mph, other times over 99 mph," the statement continues. "Each of these instances Roper either did not initiate emergency lights or turned them off while maintaining extreme speeds."
According to the criminal complaint, several weeks after the crash, Roper provided a statement to investigators and said he was attempting to "close the gap" between his squad car and the vehicle he suspected of being in violation of the traffic code.
Roper, the complaint continues, said the chase was not an active pursuit and he was not paying attention to his speed.
"When asked about the operation of his emergency lights, Roper said he believed his lights were still activated when he was on 12th Street SW. Roper said he attempted to clear the intersection prior to entering it," court papers show.
Fatal bulldozer crash:Utah CEO and teenage daughter killed after bulldozer falls on their truck
Trooper charged in crash that killed Olivia Flores due in court Aug. 29
Court papers filed in the case did not have an attorney of record listed for Roper, who officials said was on paid administrative leave Wednesday.
USA TODAY has reached out to to state police.
Although the complaint did not list Roper's bail amount, he remained free on bond Wednesday. His first court appearance is slated for Aug. 29.
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.
veryGood! (6)
Related
- What were Tom Selleck's juicy final 'Blue Bloods' words in Reagan family
- Leo DiCaprio's dating history is part of our obsession with staying young forever
- Viola Davis achieves EGOT status with Grammy win
- We recap the 2023 Super Bowl
- Trump suggestion that Egypt, Jordan absorb Palestinians from Gaza draws rejections, confusion
- He watched the Koons 'balloon dog' fall and shatter ... and wants to buy the remains
- Adults complained about a teen theater production and the show's creators stepped in
- Andrew Tate's cars and watches, worth $4 million, are confiscated by Romanian police
- Israel lets Palestinians go back to northern Gaza for first time in over a year as cease
- 'We Should Not Be Friends' offers a rare view of male friendship
Ranking
- Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
- The 2022 Oscars' best original song nominees, cruelly ranked
- 2022 Books We Love: Nonfiction
- Encore: The lasting legacy of Bob Ross
- What to watch: O Jolie night
- Saudi Arabia's art scene is exploding, but who benefits?
- Classic LA noir meets the #MeToo era in the suspense novel 'Everybody Knows'
- Salman Rushdie's 'Victory City' is a triumph, independent of the Chautauqua attack
Recommendation
'Vanderpump Rules' star DJ James Kennedy arrested on domestic violence charges
'This Is Why' it was a tough road to Paramore's new album
Natasha Lyonne on the real reason she got kicked out of boarding school
Musician Steven Van Zandt gifts Jamie Raskin a bandana, wishes him a 'rapid' recovery
Average rate on 30
Reneé Rapp wants to burn out by 30 — and it's all going perfectly to plan
Don't put 'The Consultant' in the parking lot
30 years after the siege, 'Waco' examines what led to the catastrophe