Morgan Lange faces a possible prison sentence after admitting to two felonies stemming from the September 2025 incident.
BALLSTON SPA, N.Y. — A Glenville woman pleaded guilty Monday to vehicular manslaughter and tampering with physical evidence in the death of a co-worker who was run over outside a Saratoga County restaurant last year.
Morgan Lange, 34, entered the pleas July 27 in Saratoga County Court. The charges stemmed from the Sept. 8, 2025, death of Joshua Soden, 29, in the parking lot of Bentley’s Tavern in Malta. Sentencing is expected in December before County Court Judge Francine R. Vero, though an official date has not been set.
Lange pleaded guilty to second-degree vehicular manslaughter, a Class D felony, and tampering with physical evidence, a Class E felony. Under New York law, the manslaughter charge carries a maximum term of 2⅓ to seven years in prison. Evidence tampering carries a maximum term of 1⅓ to four years.
Prosecutors have said the sentences could be imposed consecutively, creating a possible maximum term of 3⅔ to 11 years. WNYT reported that Vero is expected to impose a sentence of 2⅓ to seven years. The court has not publicly announced the final sentence.
Investigators said Lange had been drinking before she drove her Hyundai Sonata over Soden in the restaurant parking lot. Soden became pinned beneath the vehicle. New York State Police troopers and members of the Malta Ridge Fire Department freed him and provided emergency assistance.
Soden was taken to Albany Medical Center Hospital with serious injuries. He died 12 days later. Police said testing after the incident showed Lange had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.12%, above New York’s legal limit of 0.08% for most drivers.
Authorities also said Lange removed an open container of hard seltzer from her vehicle before police arrived. Investigative records previously reported by local news organizations said she asked another employee to dispose of the container. Her guilty plea included the felony evidence-tampering charge arising from that conduct.
Saratoga County District Attorney Brett Eby said his office did not offer Lange a negotiated plea agreement. He said the sentencing range for second-degree vehicular manslaughter did not adequately reflect the loss of Soden’s life and Lange’s conduct after the collision.
Eby said Soden was remembered by relatives and community members as kind, hardworking and generous. He also credited State Police investigators, responding troopers, prosecutors and victim-services personnel for their work on the case.
Soden’s family has notified Lange and Bentley’s Tavern that it intends to pursue civil litigation, WNYT reported. The criminal case will remain before Vero until Lange is sentenced, with the proceeding expected to take place in December.
Author note: Last updated July 29, 2026.