Rochester, Minnesota — The former Minnesota state trooper charged with killing 18-year-old Olivia Flores last year will face trial after a judge denied his request to dismiss charges.
According to the criminal complaint, Roper was driving at 83 mph, full throttle, with his lights and siren turned off when he collided with Flores at the busy Rochester intersection near the mall.
Flores’ family recently marked the first anniversary of the teenager’s death.
In Olmsted County, Roper was charged with nine felonies, including one count of second-degree manslaughter, one count of criminal vehicular homicide, five counts of criminal vehicular operation, reckless driving (gross misdemeanor), and one count of careless driving.
When officials reviewed Roper’s discipline records and driving patterns, they discovered that he had been involved in four previous crashes due to either inattentive driving or excessive speed. In the three hours leading up to the collision on May 18, Roper accelerated to 99 mph several times to initiate traffic stops for suspected minor offenses. During one of these incidents, the trooper drove 135 mph in a 55 mph zone with no lights or sirens activated.
Roper was fired from the State Patrol on September 3, 2024. In an investigation into the fatal crash, Minnesota State Patrol Assistant Chief Lt. Colonel Jeremy Geiger condemned Roper’s actions and accused him of violating departmental orders.
“[Defendant Roper’s] conduct undermines the State Patrol’s traffic safety mission and brings the agency into disrepute. There is simply no justification for Trooper’s decision to speed through this intersection.”
