A prosecutor revealed on Tuesday that a youngster who died and five others were injured in an accident involving a Minnesota state trooper is being charged.
Trooper Shane Roper, 32, was charged with second-degree manslaughter, criminal vehicular homicide, and other offenses, according to a news release from Olmsted County Attorney Mark Ostrem. There isn’t currently a listed attorney for Roper.
The incident in Rochester occurred on May 18. According to a criminal complaint, Roper drove at a pace of 83 mph (134 kph) on a street with a 40 mph (64 kph) speed restriction without using his emergency lights or siren. His patrol car collided with a Ford Focus turning left into a mall parking lot, and the two cars collided with an Ostrem Toyota Rav 4.
Following the Ford, Olivia Flores, an 18-year-old passenger, passed away. Five more people sustained critical injuries. Roper sustained minor wounds.
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Although the complaint lacked specifics, it claimed that Roper was attempting to apprehend a “traffic violator.”
“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 stated.
Col. Christina Bogojevic of the State Patrol sent her condolences to Flores’ family as well as to everyone else affected by the accident in a statement. She described the claims as “concerning” and stated that Roper is on paid leave pending the resolution of the matter.
