A retired New York state trooper began serving a prison sentence Tuesday after being handed 2½ to 7½ years behind bars for his involvement in a fatal high-speed pursuit that resulted in the death of an 11-year-old girl.
Christopher Baldner, age 47 and a resident of Catskill, was immediately taken into custody following his sentencing in Ulster County, located approximately 84 miles north of New York City.
In March, Baldner was found guilty of manslaughter in connection with the December 2020 death of Monica Goods, 11, who was a passenger in the SUV involved in the crash. A jury had previously cleared him of murder and reckless endangerment charges.
Prosecutors alleged that Baldner struck the family’s SUV twice while on the New York State Thruway, which caused the vehicle to spin out of control and overturn. Defense attorneys for Baldner claimed the collision happened when the SUV moved in front of the trooper’s vehicle as he drove alongside it during the chase.
The incident began when Baldner stopped Monica Good’s father, Tristin Goods, for driving over the speed limit on the highway near Kingston shortly before midnight on December 22, 2020. Goods was traveling north from New York City with his wife and two daughters to see relatives.
An altercation broke out between Baldner and Goods, during which the trooper used pepper spray inside the family’s vehicle. Goods then fled the scene, prompting Baldner to give chase.
Defense lawyers for Baldner maintained that Goods struck the trooper’s vehicle twice during the pursuit. A crash reconstruction specialist testifying for the defense stated that Goods lost control of his SUV when he oversteered following “a very minor impact.”
Baldner ended his career with the state police in 2022 after serving nearly two decades with the force.
