18-year-old weeks from graduating dies in crash involving cop car, Minnesota reports say
A beloved 18-year-old cheerleader set to graduate high school in three weeks was killed in a crash involving a police car, Minnesota reports say.
Three vehicles, including the Minnesota State Patrol car, were involved in the Saturday, May 18, crash outside the Apache Mall, the Rochester Police Department said. All seven people inside the vehicles were taken to a hospital.
One of the injured victims, Olivia Flores, eventually died at a hospital, according to a GoFundMe. Flores was a student and cheerleader at Owatonna High School.
Loved ones said Flores was weeks away from graduating. The school’s graduation is scheduled for June 7.
“Olivia was such a special young lady. To know her is to be inspired by her,” organizers of a GoFundMe said. “She was fierce and she was loyal. She was beautiful down to her soul. I can only say to know her and love her was a gift!”
It’s unclear who was at fault in the crash. Police have not given an update on the other injured victims. McClatchy News left a message for police and is awaiting a response.
Police also didn’t release information about the crash “other than to say that three people were in one civilian vehicle, two in a second civilian vehicle and two in the trooper’s squad” car, the StarTribune reported. McClatchy News left a message for police and is awaiting a response.
Flores was the captain of her school’s football and basketball cheerleader teams, her father told KIMT.
“She was such an amazing cheerleader, friend and person,” the cheerleading program said in a Facebook post. “She touched so many lives and our lives will forever be changed from her brightening them.”
Flores planned to take a gap year following her graduation, according to the Owatonna People’s Press. She had planned to help the program during the upcoming year.
“She was always just so positive, so happy, just made everything fun,” cheer coach Jenna Compton told the publication. “She had a very uplifting attitude. For me personally, coming to cheer practice after work was the highlight of my day just to see her and her smile. She always had a hug for me waiting.”
Owatonna is about a 65-mile drive south from Minneapolis.
This story was originally published May 20, 2024 at 3:39 PM with the headline "18-year-old weeks from graduating dies in crash involving cop car, Minnesota reports say."