State police trooper found guilty in fiery crash that killed woman

By Michael Guise

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    PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania (KDKA) — A Pennsylvania State Police trooper was found guilty of vehicular homicide in a fiery crash that killed a woman in Tioga County last year.

A jury found Michael J. Brown guilty on Friday, according to a news release from the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office.

Brown was off duty and on his way to work at the barracks in Tioga County when he crashed into a vehicle driven by 47-year-old Christine Woodward on Feb. 11, 2023, the news release said.

The news release said that Brown was driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee west when he crossed a double yellow line on Route 6 in Sullivan Township to pass a driver when he struck Woodward’s vehicle. She died at the scene.

“We are grateful for the jury’s time and careful deliberation of the facts in this case, which involved the devastating loss of life of a beloved mother who was also a devoted teacher,” Attorney General Michelle Henry said in the news release. “To compound the tragedy, it was completely preventable as the defendant did not have to drive with such reckless disregard to the safety of others on a rural road that cold February evening.”

Brown remains free on bail until sentencing, the news release said. PennLive reported that Brown was suspended without pay following the crash.

The maximum sentence for vehicular homicide is seven years, according to PennLive.

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