Former Minnesota state trooper pleads not guilty in crash that killed Owatonna teen

CBS News

2 days ago

A former Minnesota state trooper has pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from a crash that killed a teenage girl and injured five others.
Prosecutors said Shane Roper was speeding in his Minnesota State Patrol squad car, lights inactive, when he hit a Ford Focus in an intersection in Rochester, Minnesota, on May 18, 2024. A third vehicle was also struck.
Roper is charged with five counts of criminal vehicular operation and one count each of second-degree manslaughter, criminal vehicular homicide, reckless driving and careless driving. He entered not guilty pleas for all charges on Thursday.
The crash killed 18-year-old Olivia Flores of Owatonna and hurt several others, including a "ride-along" in Roper's vehicle. He said he was trying to "close the gap" between himself and a driver he suspected of a traffic violation, according to court documents, and he was not aware of his speed. The state patrol initially placed Roper on administrative leave, then months later said there was "simply no justification" for his actions and fired him.
State patrol documents showed four prior crashes on Roper's driving record due to "inattentive driving or excessive speed."
After the crash, attorneys for Flores' family released a statement, saying in part, "It is heartbreaking and unacceptable to the Flores family that the State of Minnesota allowed Trooper Roper to be on the road in a Minnesota State Patrol squad car after knowing that he posed a clear danger to others."
Note: The video above originally aired Sept. 11, 2024.