Authorities confirmed the death of both NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, after they painfully lost their lives last night in a biking accident that involved a driver that was suspected to have been drunk.
Johnny Gaudreau, who is already 31 years old, and his brother Matthew Gaudreau, 29, were cycling in Oldmans Township, New Jersey, when the suspected drink driver who was trying to overtake another vehicle hit the brothers, Sgt. says.
Sean Higgins, the 43-year-old driver who is suspected of driving while he was drunk and has been charged with two counts of death by auto, Lebron confirms.
The charged driver has been taken into custody at the Salem County Correctional Facility and was seen appearing in a virtual courtroom on Friday afternoon, where the presiding judge told him his offense could attract 10 years behind bars.
During the appearance, Higgins was represented by a public defender who informed the court that his client had the intention to get a private attorney to defend him.
He is again slated to face his detention trial next Thursday, Sept. 5, and he acknowledged grimly that he would remain in jail until then.
An affidavit of probable cause shows that the responding officer detected a “strong odor” of alcohol on Higgins’ breath at the scene of the crash.
He also confirmed to authorities that he consumed five to six beers before the driving that led to the accident, and he also failed a sobriety test.