Brendan Hoffman Indicted In Christopher Baker Death

by David Flint
The driver in the accident that killed Christopher Baker on June 28 last year has been indicted on charges of Vehicular Homicide and other related offenses. A Grand Jury in Rensselaer County Court on Friday, February 8, handed down an 11-count indictment against Brendan Hoffman of Stephentown. The indictment came two days after Hoffman’s 21st birthday.
[private]Christopher Baker, a 24 year old RPI student and son of Stephentown attorney Brian Baker and Nancy Petersen, was thrown from a car allegedly driven by Hoffman in the early morning hours of June 28. A witness said that seconds before the crash he had been narrowly missed by the car moving at high speed on Cranston Hill Road. He said that following the crash Hoffman was picked up and taken from the scene by a woman in another car. Sheriff’s Deputies investigating were not aware that there had been a passenger in the car until Hoffman’s father called later that morning. Along with Stephentown firefighters they then searched and found Baker’s body about 100 feet from the crash off the other side of the road in a wooded area. The woman allegedly driving the car that left the scene has not been identified. Rensselaer County District Attorney Richard J. McNally, Jr. said that while charges were considered, it is believed the fault lies with Hoffman and there would be no charges filed against this person.
The charges against Hoffman include three counts of Aggravated Vehicular Homicide, three counts of Vehicular Manslaughter in the 1st degree, one count of Leaving the Scene of a Personal Injury Accident Without Reporting, two counts of Driving While Intoxicated, one count of Driving While Impaired by a combination of drugs and alcohol, and one count of Reckless Driving. All of the charges except Reckless Driving are felony charges ranging from class B for Aggravated Vehicular Homicide to class E for Driving While Intoxicated. Reckless Driving is a misdemeanor.
McNally added a Special Information to the indictment noting that Hoffman had been previously convicted in August of 2011 in Petersburgh Town Court of the crime of Driving While Intoxicated.[/private]