Not Guilty: Ex-Trooper Acquitted in Fatal Highway Chase, but Still Faces Manslaughter Charge
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A former New York state trooper, Christopher Baldner, has been acquitted of murder charges in connection with a high-speed chase that resulted in the death of an 11-year-old girl. However, the jury still needs to deliberate on a manslaughter charge. The incident occurred on December 22, 2020, when Baldner pulled over a speeding SUV on the New York State Thruway. The driver, Tristin Goods, argued with the trooper and sped away, leading to a chase. Baldner allegedly rammed the SUV twice, causing it to lose control and flip over, resulting in the death of his 11-year-old daughter, Monica. Prosecutors argued that Baldner's actions were a 'fatal abuse of power,' while the defense claimed that the fatal crash occurred when Goods overcorrected after veering into the path of the trooper's car. Goods testified that he pulled away from the traffic stop because he was 'scared for his life' after being pepper-sprayed. The trial also involved a separate 2019 case in which Baldner is accused of ramming the back of a Dodge Caravan, causing it to crash into a guardrail. He has been acquitted of three reckless endangerment charges related to this incident. Baldner, 52, has been free on $100,000 bail since his arrest. He retired from the state police in 2022 after almost 20 years of service. The New York attorney general's office, which prosecuted the case, has not commented on the verdict.
