A former New York State Police trooper has been sentenced to prison for causing the death of an 11-year-old girl during a pursuit on the New York State Thruway in 2020.
Christopher Baldner, 47, of Catskill, was sentenced Tuesday to 2½ to 7½ years in prison after an Ulster County jury found him guilty of second-degree manslaughter in March. He was remanded into custody following sentencing, according to Attorney General Letitia James’ Office of Special Investigation.
Prosecutors said the incident occurred Dec. 22, 2020, when Baldner stopped a vehicle driven by Tristin Goods on the Thruway in Ulster County. The Goods family was traveling home for Christmas with Tristin Goods’ wife and two daughters in the vehicle. During the traffic stop, Baldner deployed pepper spray into the family’s car, and Goods drove away, authorities said.
According to investigators, Baldner pursued the vehicle and struck it twice from behind with his marked state police cruiser. After the second impact, the vehicle hit a guardrail, overturned and came to rest upside down. Monica Goods, 11, was ejected from the vehicle and died from her injuries.
The case was investigated by the Attorney General’s Office under New York’s law requiring review of incidents in which a police or peace officer may have caused a person’s death. Baldner was convicted by a jury on March 13 and sentenced June 2 in Ulster County Court.
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