Minnesota trooper charged after fatal crash kills teen daughter

Stephanie and Carlos Flores were at home on a Saturday afternoon when a notification from Life360, their location-sharing app, alerted them to a crash involving their 18-year-old daughter, Olivia. The couple frantically called out for Olivia to pick up her phone, but their fears were soon confirmed by a call informing them of her accident. They rushed to the hospital, only to face the devastating decision to take Olivia off life support.

Their grief turned to anger upon learning that a Minnesota state trooper, Shane Roper, with a history of driving misconduct, had caused the crash. Roper, who had been involved in four previous on-duty crashes, was driving at 83 mph in a 40 mph zone when he collided with the car Olivia was in, just weeks before her high school graduation.

Roper, aged 32, faces several felony charges, including second-degree manslaughter and criminal vehicular homicide. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. On May 18, Roper was travelling near Apache Mall when he struck a Ford Focus containing Olivia and two others. The impact pushed both vehicles into a third car, a Toyota RAV4. Witnesses described Roper’s speed as akin to a “rocket.”

Roper claimed he was trying to close the gap between his car and another vehicle he suspected of a traffic violation. He admitted he was not paying attention to his speed and believed his emergency lights were on. However, neither the Ford Focus driver nor witnesses saw or heard any emergency signals. Olivia died from blunt force injuries, while the other passengers suffered severe injuries.

Earlier that day, Roper had driven at 135 mph in a 55 mph zone without activating his lights or sirens. The criminal complaint described his driving as grossly negligent and reckless, disregarding the safety of others. Roper remains on paid leave, pending a trial scheduled for March 31, 2025 for crash.

Minnesota State Patrol Chief Col. Christina Bogojevic expressed condolences to Olivia’s family and stated that Roper’s actions did not reflect the agency’s values. Olivia, a beloved cheerleading captain at Owatonna High School, is deeply mourned by her community. Her father, Carlos, spoke of the pain of planning a funeral instead of a graduation party.

In Olivia’s memory, her cheerleading team held fundraisers, and a GoFundMe page was set up to support the Flores family. An investigation revealed Roper’s pattern of high-speed driving without activating emergency lights, leading to previous suspensions. Despite undergoing extensive driving-related training, Roper’s conduct remained problematic.

Olivia’s family, represented by attorney Daniel McIntosh, is demanding an open investigation into the systemic failures that allowed Roper to remain on the road. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has promised a thorough investigation into the incident, acknowledging the profound impact of the tragedy on the Flores family.