Attorney General James’ Office of Special Investigation releases detailed report on the death of Steven Christy following Monticello vehicle incident

New York – New York Attorney General Letitia James’ Office of Special Investigation has released its report into the death of Steven Christy, who died several days after being struck by a vehicle driven by an off-duty Village of Monticello Police Department sergeant.

Christy was involved in the motor vehicle incident on November 25, 2025, in Monticello, Sullivan County. He was taken to a local hospital after the crash and was later transferred to a larger medical facility. He died there on November 30.

After reviewing the circumstances surrounding the incident, OSI determined that criminal charges against the police sergeant were not warranted. Investigators concluded that a prosecutor would not be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt at trial that the sergeant committed a crime.

The investigation included interviews with officers from the Monticello Police Department and deputies from the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office who responded to the scene. Investigators also reviewed police reports, photographs of the vehicle involved in the crash and the applicable criminal law.

The incident happened at about 6 p.m. on November 25. According to the report, the off-duty sergeant was driving his personal vehicle southbound on Pleasant Street toward High Street in Monticello.

The intersection of Pleasant Street and High Street is controlled by traffic signals. It also has a marked pedestrian crosswalk and a pedestrian signal. The sergeant had already passed the intersection when his vehicle struck Christy, who was walking across Pleasant Street in an area that did not have a marked crosswalk.

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The impact left Christy seriously injured. He was transported for medical treatment, but his condition later became critical. He died five days after the incident.

A major part of OSI’s review focused on whether the available evidence met the legal standard needed to bring a criminal case. Under New York law, criminally negligent homicide requires prosecutors to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a person caused a death after failing to recognize a substantial and unjustifiable risk that death would occur.

The law also requires that the failure to recognize that risk amount to a gross deviation from the conduct expected of a reasonable person in the same circumstances. In addition, prosecutors must establish blameworthy conduct.

OSI said the evidence gathered during the investigation did not meet that standard.

Investigators found no evidence that the sergeant was speeding at the time of the incident. The investigation also did not establish that he was distracted, using his cellphone, impaired by alcohol or drugs, or otherwise operating the vehicle in a dangerous manner.

Those findings were important to OSI’s legal analysis. While the collision resulted in Christy’s death, investigators concluded that the evidence did not establish beyond a reasonable doubt that the sergeant’s actions represented a gross deviation from the standard of care expected of a reasonable person.

The investigation also did not establish beyond a reasonable doubt that the sergeant had failed to perceive a substantial and unjustifiable risk of death.

For those reasons, OSI determined that criminal prosecution was not supported by the evidence.

The report, however, also raises concerns about how the incident was investigated at the scene. One of the recommendations involves the use of body-worn cameras by police officers.

OSI has repeatedly recommended that the New York State Legislature require police departments across the state to equip officers with body-worn cameras. None of the responding Monticello police officers or Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office deputies had a body-worn camera during this incident.

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According to OSI, footage from body-worn cameras could have offered the public greater transparency about what happened and how the investigation was handled immediately after the collision.

The report also makes recommendations concerning how police agencies should be treated when they are involved in incidents that are subject to investigation.

OSI recommends that the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office apply the same standards to officers from all police agencies that it would apply to civilians. It also recommends that investigations be conducted impartially.

The recommendation is connected in part to the condition and status of the vehicle involved in the collision.

The sergeant was driving a vehicle that was unregistered and uninspected and did not have front license plates when Christy was struck. The report states that the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office had the authority to issue the sergeant a ticket and seize the vehicle immediately after the incident.

However, OSI found that the vehicle was not thoroughly inspected by either the Monticello Police Department or the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators also did not make efforts to examine the vehicle’s event data recorder, which could potentially have contained information about the collision.

In addition, the responding agencies did not request assistance from an outside agency with officers trained in collision reconstruction.

The vehicle was ultimately allowed to leave the scene with the sergeant driving it away. According to OSI, tickets were not issued to the sergeant until after members of the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office learned that Christy was in critical condition and was not expected to survive.

The findings regarding the investigation do not change OSI’s conclusion about the criminal case. After examining the available evidence and applying the legal standard required for a criminal conviction, the office determined that it could not establish the elements of criminally negligent homicide beyond a reasonable doubt.

The report therefore closes the question of criminal charges against the sergeant while also pointing to broader concerns about police accountability, evidence collection and transparency.

OSI’s recommendations regarding body-worn cameras and impartial investigations are intended to address those issues in future cases. The office’s review highlights the difference between determining whether conduct meets the standard for criminal prosecution and examining whether police procedures following a serious incident were thorough enough.

In Christy’s case, OSI concluded that the available evidence was insufficient to support criminal charges. At the same time, its report identified several investigative steps that, according to the office, could have provided more information about the crash and greater transparency for the public.