The Minnesota cheerleader killed during a collision with a state trooper was just weeks away from her high school graduation, the girl's loved ones said.
Olivia Flores, 18, was one of five people taken to the hospital when a Ford Focus and a state police patrol car collided at an intersection around 5:45 p.m. Saturday. The driver and other passenger in the Ford Focus, a state trooper and an individual doing a ride along with the trooper were also injured.
Flores was the captain of the cheerleading squad at Owatonna High School, according to KSTP.
"It's really sad knowing in the next three weeks we won't see her at graduation, and she won't be at my grad party and I won't be at her grad party," her teammate Mariah Cuellar told the outlet.
Flores' cheer coach described her as a "shining light," while a family friend wrote that she was "fierce and loyal."
"She was beautiful down to her soul," family friend Michal Otte wrote in a GoFundMe benefitting Flores' family. "I can only say to know her and love her was a gift!"
Minnesota State Patrol Colonel Christina Bogojevic expressed her condolences in a statement.
"Making sure motorists are safe as they travel Minnesota's roads is at the core of what we do each day. Our agency works hard to prevent crashes and save lives," she said. "On Saturday evening, a Minnesota State Patrol squad was involved in a crash in Rochester in which someone later died. Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragic event."
The incident is still under investigation by the Rochester, Minnesota Police Department. The GoFundMe to benefit her family has earned more than $28,000 people.
