A former New York state trooper has been sentenced to 2½ to 7½ years in prison following a high-speed chase that resulted in the death of an 11-year-old girl.
Christopher Baldner, 47, of Catskill, was immediately taken into custody after the sentencing in Ulster County, located approximately 84 miles north of New York City.
Baldner was found guilty of manslaughter in March for the December 2020 death of Monica Goods, who was a passenger in the SUV involved in the pursuit.
He had previously been acquitted of murder and reckless endangerment charges.
Prosecutors alleged that Baldner intentionally rammed the SUV twice on the New York State Thruway, causing it to lose control and overturn. However, Baldner’s attorneys contended that the crash occurred after the SUV cut off the trooper as he drove alongside it during the chase.
An accident reconstruction expert for the defense testified that Monica Goods’ father, Tristin Goods, lost control of the vehicle after overcorrecting from a “very minor impact.”
The incident began when Baldner pulled Tristin Goods over for speeding near Kingston just before midnight on December 22, 2020. Goods, his wife, and their two daughters were traveling north from New York City to visit family.
Baldner, who retired in 2022 after nearly two decades with the state police, had his lawyers claim that Goods’ vehicle collided with the trooper’s car twice during the pursuit.
