Overview
- An Ulster County jury found Christopher Baldner, 47, guilty of second-degree manslaughter on March 13, 2026.
- Officials said a late-night traffic stop escalated after Baldner pepper-sprayed the SUV’s interior, the driver fled, and the trooper struck the vehicle twice, causing it to flip.
- Monica Goods, 11, was ejected during the rollover on the New York State Thruway near Kingston and was killed.
- The first trial in November 2025 ended with acquittals on murder and reckless endangerment charges and a mistrial on manslaughter.
- Prosecutors argued Baldner recklessly used his patrol car as a weapon, while the defense contended driver Tristin Goods caused the crash.