Family of Owatonna teen killed in crash involving state trooper files wrongful-death lawsuit
OWATONNA, Minn. — The family of Olivia Flores, the 18-year-old girl killed in a three-vehicle crash in May, has filed a lawsuit against the former Minnesota State Patrol trooper involved in the crash.
The lawsuit names Olivia's parents, Carlos and Stephanie Flores as plaintiffs, and alleges former state trooper Shane Roper violated Olivia's rights and wrongfully caused her death on May 18.
Carlos and Stephanie Flores are seeking compensatory and punitive damages as well as attorneys' fees and costs, according to the lawsuit.
According to court documents, Roper was driving his squad car with "excessive speed" and without his lights on when he hit a Ford Focus trying to cross the intersection of 12th Street Southwest and Apache Drive Southwest in Rochester. The impact caused both cars to hit a Toyota Rav4.
Three hours before the collision, he was driving over 99 miles per hour on "numerous occasions" while trying to initiate traffic stops. Court documents say Roper, at one point, was traveling 135 mph in a 55 mph zone without his lights or siren.
Olivia Flores, a passenger in the Ford Focus, died in the crash. Two other Owatonna women in the Focus were injured, as well as two people in the Toyota Rav4.
The lawsuit alleges Roper had time to "deliberate and consider his actions" in the moments leading up to the crash, and "consciously disregarded" the health and safety of Olivia Flores and others.
Roper is charged with second-degree manslaughter, one count of criminal vehicular homicide and five counts of criminal vehicular operation, as well as reckless driving and careless driving counts.
Documents say Roper's driving records reveal four prior crashes due to his "inattentive driving or excessive speed."