A former Minnesota state trooper accused of driving more than twice the speed limit before slamming into a car and killing 18-year-old high school cheerleader Olivia Flores is now being sued by the teen’s family.
Carlos and Stephanie Flores filed a wrongful death lawsuit in federal court in Minnesota on Wednesday against Shane Roper, 32. The parents are requesting compensatory, general, and punitive damages, as well as attorneys’ fees and costs in this case.
In addition to Flores’ fatal injuries, Roper faces nine criminal charges, including one count of second-degree manslaughter, criminal vehicular homicide, and reckless driving resulting in death.
The fatal crash occurred on the afternoon of May 18, 2024, in front of Rochester’s Apache Mall. Flores was a passenger in a friend’s vehicle, and Roper was operating his squad car without emergency lights or sirens.
The petition states that Ms. Flores died from the injuries she sustained when Minnesota State Trooper Shane Roper’s squad car struck her vehicle while he was on duty.
“Defendant Roper was speeding excessively and recklessly through a busy intersection in Rochester, Minnesota, at more than twice the posted speed limit in an area where he was aware of heavy traffic.
Defendant Roper saw and appreciated the presence of other vehicles and occupants in the area, and he consciously ignored the danger he created with his reckless driving.”
According to the complaint, Roper was driving at 83 mph in a 40 mph zone just before the crash. In addition to killing Flores, the crash injured five other people. Prosecutors previously claimed that he pushed the gas to “full throttle.”
“There was no legitimate law enforcement purpose for Defendant Roper’s decision to excessively speed with reckless and conscious disregard for the other persons in his path,” according to the lawsuit.
“Defendant Roper’s conscious disregard for Ms. Flores’ and others’ health, safety, and substantive due process rights constitutes criminal recklessness and deliberate indifference.” Such indifference shocks the conscience in this case.”
According to the complaint, Roper’s body camera showed that he only turned on his lights and sirens after the collision occurred.
One of the crash survivors told St. Paul ABC affiliate KSTP that Roper’s car approached them like a “rocket” as they made a turn at an intersection.
Initially, witnesses reported that Roper drove his trooper vehicle into a Ford Focus as it turned left, and then pushed the Focus into a nearby Toyota RAV4. Flores was in a Ford Focus with two other people. The RAV4 carried two people.
Prosecutors in Roper’s criminal case said he was involved in four previous accidents caused by inattentive driving or speeding.
According to investigators, he drove over 99 mph several times on the day of the crash. That also included driving at 135 mph in a 55 mph zone for an emergency call while not using his lights or sirens.
Minnesota State Patrol Col. Christina Bogojevic expressed her department’s condolences and stated that Roper’s alleged actions are “concerning” because they do not “align with the State Patrol’s core values.”
“The announcement of charges marks the next stage in the judicial process in this case. We respect that process and are unable to comment further due to ongoing criminal proceedings,” Bogojevic said in a statement.
The Minnesota Star Tribune reported that an internal investigation found “no justification” for Roper’s speed at the time of the crash, leading to his firing from the state police in September.
