New Jersey prosecutors say the driver charged in the deaths of NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew was legally intoxicated at the time of the fatal crash on Aug. 29.
Sean Higgins, 43, is charged with two counts of vehicular homicide, reckless driving, possession of an open container and alcohol in a motor vehicle.
The Woodstown, New Jersey, resident appeared virtually in court Friday to stand trial despite the objections of his attorneys, who argued that he was a married father and law-abiding citizen before the fatal crash.
“He’s an empathetic person and a loving father of two daughters,” said Higgins’ attorney, Matthew Portella. “He’s a good person and he made a terrible decision that night.”
Gaudreau, 31, and his 29-year-old brother Matthew were killed last month after they were struck by Higgins’ vehicle while riding their bikes in New Jersey the night before their sister Katie’s wedding.
Sean M. Higgins, above, the alleged drunk driver accused of killing NHL hockey player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew as they rode bicycles on a rural road, appears before Judge Michael Silvanio, below
Gaudreau, 31, and his 29-year-old brother Matthew died last month after they were struck by Higgins’ vehicle while they were cycling in New Jersey the night before their sister Katie’s wedding
In documents seen by DailyMail.com, alleged drunk driver Higgins admitted to police he had consumed “5-6 beers” before getting behind the wheel of his Jeep Grand Cherokee and crashing into the Gaudreau brothers.
He also failed a breathalyzer test.
The accident happened less than three miles from the Gaudreau family home, just hours before Katie was to marry her partner Devin Joyce.