A Minnesota State Police trooper accused of speeding without his lights or siren on and then causing a crash that killed an 18-year-old was indicted Tuesday on charges of manslaughter and vehicular homicide.
Olmsted County Attorney Mark Ostrem said Officer Shane Roper “was driving recklessly and ignoring the basic rules of the road” when he crashed his Ford Focus into Rochester in May, killing Olivia Flores.
Charges of second-degree manslaughter, homicide by vehicle and other offenses by operation of a vehicle were filed against Roper on Tuesday, Ostrem said.
The fatal accident occurred around 5:44 pm on May 18 near a shopping mall in Rochester, a city of about 121,000 people in the southeastern part of the state. The driver was allegedly driving at 83 mph on a road with a 40 mph speed limit just before the accident.
“Officer Roper neglected his duties in this egregious manner, causing the death of a young woman who was graduating from high school,” Ostrem said in a statement.
A Rochester police officer wrote in an affidavit that is part of the criminal complaint that Loper, 32, was on duty when he stopped at a freeway on-ramp for a traffic stop and sped away “after observing an apparent minor traffic violation.”
Roper then exited the highway and was traveling east on Southwest 12th Street in a 40 mph zone at 83 mph as he approached the intersection leading to Apache Mall, according to police documents.
Authorities said a Ford Focus traveling in the opposite direction attempted to turn left onto the mall when its and Roper’s lights turned green, causing Roper to strike the passenger side of the Focus.
Flores, who was sitting in the back seat of the Focus, died from his injuries. Prosecutor Ostrem said Roper was speeding on a busy road for a minor traffic violation and was driving with “gross negligence.”
Police wrote in the affidavit that witnesses described seeing Roper’s vehicle “flying” and did not report hearing sirens or seeing lights.
The criminal complaint and the statement announcing Olmstead’s criminal charges do not specify what the “minor traffic infraction” was.
A Rochester Police Department officer wrote in an affidavit that Roper told police investigating the crash that he thought his lights were on.
“Roper stated he was trying to ‘go through’ the intersection before entering the intersection,” trooper wrote in the document. A large SUV traveling in the same direction as Roper then moved into the left turn lane, “at least partially blocking” the view of the left turn lane where the Focus was parked, the affidavit states.
Attempts to reach Roper Tuesday evening were unsuccessful. Court records did not list an attorney for Roper. His first court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 29.
The Minnesota State Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday evening. The Associated Press, citing a police spokesman, reported that Roper is currently on paid administrative leave.
