By Victor Omondi
Brooklyn mother of girl who was killed in a crash caused by a state trooper who rammed their SUV twice, has decided to file a lawsuit against state police, the officer and the girl’s father.
Michelle Surrency, 31, plans to file state and federal lawsuits against State Trooper Christopher Baldner. She had already filed a notice of claim, preliminary paperwork laying ground for the lawsuit, a year ago.
“It’s about accountability for the actions of the state trooper and everyone who is responsible for the death of Monica and the pain of Tristina,” Surrency told the Daily News. “At the end of the day, Tristina and Monica are children. They couldn’t control the situation at all.”
Baldner is said to have pulled over the car with Surrency, her husband and two daughters. He then showered the inside of the car with pepper spray, and then rammed the car twice at high-speed, causing it to flip over the guardrail and killed 11-year-old Monica Goods.
Both Surrency and her husband, Tristin Goods, have filed lawsuits against Baldner, accusing him of using “vehicle contact action” without legitimate basis. The lawsuits also point out that he failed to obtain approval from a superior before taking such action.
Goods recalled getting into an argument with the officer trying to understand why he was being chased. Talking to Daily News, he said the officer didn’t give them any warning before showering the inside of the vehicle with pepper spray. And even after the crash, he wasn’t given time to check on his daughter.
“It’s about accountability for the actions of the state trooper and everyone who is responsible for the death of Monica and the pain of Tristina. At the end of the day, Tristina and Monica are children. They couldn’t control the situation at all,” Surrency told the Daily News.
The AG’s office has also found that Baldner has previously been accused of rear-ending two other vehicles on I-87 while on duty in 2017 and 2019 respectively.
Baldner was indicted on murder charges by the state attorney general’s office and will stand trial on May 18.
