HARRISBURG, PA — Attorney General Michelle Henry announced that Michael J. Brown, a Pennsylvania State Trooper, was convicted on Friday of vehicular homicide for causing a fatal crash in Tioga County last year while off-duty.
A Tioga County jury returned the verdict against Brown after a week-long trial concerning the February 11, 2023, collision that killed 47-year-old Christine Woodward.
Brown was convicted of felony homicide by vehicle. A Columbia County Senior Judge also found Brown guilty of summary traffic violations. He remains free on bail until sentencing.
Testimony revealed that Brown attempted to pass another vehicle illegally across double yellow lines on Route 6 and struck an oncoming vehicle.
“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,” said Attorney General Henry. “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.”
The investigation showed that on the night of February 11, 2023, Brown was traveling west in a Jeep Grand Cherokee on Route 6 in Sullivan Township, heading to work at his barracks in Tioga County. In trying to pass a westbound vehicle, his Jeep crossed double yellow lines and struck an oncoming vehicle ascending a hill.
Woodward died at the scene.
Senior Deputy Attorney General Christopher Phillips, Deputy Attorney General Philip McCarthy, and Senior Deputy Attorney General Tracy Piatkowski prosecuted the case.
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