Cheerleader Olivia Flores was about to graduate. Instead, her family planned her funeral

By Alaa Elassar and Sara Smart, CNN

(CNN) — It was a Saturday afternoon when Stephanie and Carlos Flores heard the ping of a notification on their phones that changed their lives forever.

The notification came from Life360, a location-sharing app they used with their daughter, 18-year-old Olivia Flores, alerting them a crash had been detected.

“We were yelling, like, ‘Olivia, pick up your phone, pick up your phone,’” Carlos Flores, Olivia’s father, told CNN affiliate KTTC.

Shortly after, the family received a call saying Olivia had been in an accident. They rushed to the hospital to be by her side. There, the news only got worse, leading them to make the heart-wrenching decision to take their only daughter off life support, they told KTTC.

The family’s shock quickly turned into anger as they learned a Minnesota state trooper with a history of driving misconduct, including four previous on-duty crashes, had allegedly been responsible for the crash that killed Olivia, just weeks before she was set to walk the stage of her high school graduation.

Shane Roper, 32, is facing multiple felony charges including second-degree manslaughter and criminal vehicular homicide, according to a criminal complaint filed in July. Roper is also facing three felony counts of criminal vehicular operation resulting in substantial bodily harm and multiple misdemeanors, according to the complaint.

Roper pleaded not guilty on Thursday to all criminal charges related to the May 18 accident that claimed Olivia’s’ life and injured others, according to Minnesota court records.

Roper was in Rochester near the Apache Mall traveling 83 mph, more than double the speed limit, when a Ford Focus containing three people including Olivia began crossing the intersection. Unable to brake or swerve in time, Roper struck the Ford Focus and both cars struck a third car, a Toyota RAV4, containing two people, the complaint said. Roper’s squad car struck the Ford Focus while moving at least 55 miles mph, according to the complaint.

“The driver of the Ford Focus described the speed of the oncoming vehicle as
‘a rocket,’” the criminal complaint said. “Other witnesses described the speed of the oncoming vehicle as ‘flying,’ ‘in a blink of an eye,’ and ‘hauling ass.’”

Roper said he was “attempting to ‘close the gap’” between his car and another vehicle “he suspected of being in violation of the traffic code,” according to the complaint, citing a statement Roper provided to law enforcement. He “said he was not paying attention to his speed,” and thought his emergency lights were activated. He also said he “attempted to ‘clear’ the intersection” before driving through it, the complaint said.

Neither the driver of the Ford Focus nor any witnesses said they saw or heard emergency lights or a siren, according to the complaint. Olivia, who was a rear seat passenger, died due to blunt force injuries, according to the complaint. The driver of the Ford Focus suffered a liver laceration and bruised kidney, while the other passenger in the vehicle sustained a broken pelvis and a lacerated kidney. The occupants of the Toyota RAV4 both “suffered physical pain,” the complaint said. Roper also had a passenger in his squad car — a ride along — who sustained rib bruising and multiple fractures due to the crash.

Earlier during the day of the accident, Roper engaged in high-speed driving multiple times, including one instance where he drove 135 mph in a 55 mph zone while responding to a call without turning on his lights or sirens and told his ride along passenger he was used to driving in that manner, according to the complaint.

“Roper’s driving conduct on May 18, including the high rate of speed, failure to verify the intersection was safe for passage, and failure to use lights or a siren to alert other drivers on the roadway of his presence, was grossly negligent and reckless in nature,” the complaint said. “This conduct disregarded the safety and lives of other individuals on or near the roadway. Roper’s driving conduct ultimately caused the collision and resulting death and injuries of the victims.”

CNN reached out to Roper’s attorney on Thursday but has not received a response. Roper and his attorney have requested a jury trial, which is scheduled for March 31, 2025.

Roper remains on paid leave, in accordance with his trooper contract, according to Minnesota State Patrol Chief Col. Christina Bogojevic.

“Our thoughts and sincere condolences remain with Olivia’s family, friends and loved ones,” Bogojevic told CNN. “Trooper Shane Roper’s alleged conduct outlined in the criminal complaint does not align with the State Patrol’s core values. Out of respect for the judicial process, we cannot comment further.”

Family mourns loss of daughter

Olivia, a captain on the cheerleading team at Owatonna High School, was a cherished daughter, sister and teammate whose loss has been felt widely throughout her community.

“She should’ve been able to walk across the stage,” Carlos Flores told KTTC, wearing a handmade bracelet with small beads that read “LLO,” which stands for “Long Live Olivia.” “Because of you, (Roper) we planned a funeral instead of her graduation party.”

“Because of your choice, I don’t get to dance with my daughter at her wedding.”

Owatonna Huskies cheerleaders held multiple events, including a dinner and silent auction, to honor their teammate and raise funds for the Flores family.

“It is with broken hearts we have to say goodbye to our Olivia,” Owatonna Huskies Cheerleading said in a Facebook post. “She was such an amazing cheerleader, friend and person. She touched many lives and our lives will forever be changed from her brightening them.”

A GoFundMe was set up to support the Flores family as they navigate their loss.

State trooper involved in 4 previous crashes

Upon a review of his disciplinary record as a Minnesota State Patrol trooper, officers discovered he was involved with four prior crashes while driving his squad car “either due to inattentive driving or excessive speed,” according to the criminal complaint.

“There was a consistent pattern of Roper reaching and maintaining these high speeds either without activating his emergency lights at all, or turning them off while driving at high rates of speed,” the complaint said.

Roper was “disciplined based on policy violation” and suspended after two of those crashes, Bogojevic confirmed to CNN.

During his eight years as a trooper, Roper has received driving-related training about 13 times since 2016 and learned risk management, braking systems, braking limitations, emergency and nonemergency driving, and liability involved in emergency and nonemergency driving, according to the complaint.

“Blows my mind that somebody thought, yeah, this person with four past issues of the same thing will be fine in a car,” Stephanie Flores, Olivia’s mother, told KTTC.

“How is somebody with that much of a history with the same issues is still able to drive and be out on the roads and be somebody who is supposed to protect and serve. But you don’t. You took all of your training and flipped it.”

Olivia’s family is calling for an open investigation “of the organizational failures that led” to Olivia’s death, family attorney Daniel McIntosh said in a July news release obtained by CNN affiliate WCCO.

“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,” the news release said.

CNN has reached out to the family’s attorney but did not receive a reply.

“The Flores family calls on the Commissioner of Public Safety, Bob Jacobson, Minnesota State Patrol Col. Christina Bogojevic, and Governor Tim Walz to commence an open and independent investigation of the organizational failures that led to Trooper Roper taking Olivia Flores’ life, and seriously injuring the other victims in this crash, to avoid such a senseless and preventable tragedy in the future,” the release said.

Walz told KTTC in July the family “can rest assured they will get a full investigation into this absolutely tragic accident.”

“This one’s even hard to have words for,” Walz said. “There’s nothing we can say that’s going to ease that pain, but we have to make sure, if there are things that can be done differently should be done differently, or weren’t done correctly; we need to know that.”

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