Current:Home > MarketsJudge extends the time to indict the driver accused of killing Johnny Gaudreau and his brother -Dynamic Wealth Solutions
Judge extends the time to indict the driver accused of killing Johnny Gaudreau and his brother
Indexbit Exchange View
Date:2025-04-07 04:13:57
SALEM, N.J. (AP) — The driver charged with killing NHL hockey player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, as they were cycling on a rural New Jersey road briefly appeared in court Tuesday, where the judge extended the window for prosecutors to seek an indictment.
The brief hearing, in which the judge granted prosecutors 30 additional days in which to seek formal charges in the Gaudreaus’ Aug. 29 deaths, marked the first time the Gaudreau family and the 44-year-old defendant, Sean M. Higgins, faced one another in court. Previously, Higgins appeared at hearings via video from behind bars.
Authorities say Higgins, who is from Woodstown, in southwestern New Jersey, was impaired after he drank five or six beers on the day he drove into the brothers’ bicycles, and that he has a history of road rage and aggressive driving.
Johnny Gaudreau, 31, and Matthew Gaudreau, 29, were killed near their childhood home in South Jersey on Aug. 29, on the eve of their sister’s wedding. The family, including their father, Gus Gaudreau, declined to comment on the case Tuesday at the Salem County Courthouse.
Higgins told police that on the day of his arrest, he had been driving around for two hours while talking to a friend on the phone after having an upsetting conversation with his mother.
A driver who was in front of Higgins told police that Higgins had been driving aggressively. When she and the vehicle ahead of her slowed down and moved left to go around the cyclists, Higgins sped up and veered right, striking the Gaudreaus, she said.
Higgins had a blood-alcohol level of .087, which is above the state’s .08 legal limit, and he failed a field sobriety test, police said. He faces preliminary charges of two counts of death by auto, reckless driving, possession of an open container, and consuming alcohol in a vehicle.
Higgins faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. The judge said that made him a flight risk and ordered him jailed until the trial.
Defense lawyer Matthew Portella has called Higgins “a loving father of two daughters,” and a good person who “made a horrible decision that night.” Portella declined to comment after Tuesday’s hearing.
Johnny Gaudreau, known as “Johnny Hockey,” played 10 full seasons in the NHL and was set to start his third with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He played his first eight seasons with the Calgary Flames.
veryGood! (4844)
Related
- Have Dry, Sensitive Skin? You Need To Add These Gentle Skincare Products to Your Routine
- Calling All Sleeping Beauties, Reawaken Your Fashion With Pajamas So Chic You Can Wear Them as Outfits
- Tom Cruise Poses For Photo With Kids Bella and Connor for First Time in Nearly 15 Years
- Bus crash on Maryland highway leaves 1 dead, multiple injured: What to know
- John Galliano out at Maison Margiela, capping year of fashion designer musical chairs
- 'American Idol' recap: Top 7 singer makes Katy Perry 'scared for my job,' and two more go home
- They shared a name — but not a future. How two kids fought to escape poverty in Baltimore
- After AP investigation, family of missing students enrolls in school
- Warm inflation data keep S&P 500, Dow, Nasdaq under wraps before Fed meeting next week
- Obi Ezeh, a former Michigan football and all-Big Ten standout LB, dies at 36
Ranking
- The company planning a successor to Concorde makes its first supersonic test
- ‘Build Green’ Bill Seeks a Clean Shift in Transportation Spending
- Princess Beatrice says Sarah Ferguson is 'all clear' after battling two types of cancer
- Interstate 95 in Connecticut reopens after fiery gas tanker left it closed for days
- What do we know about the mysterious drones reported flying over New Jersey?
- Want to show teachers appreciation? This top school gives them more freedom
- Key rocket launch set for Monday: What to know about the Boeing Starliner carrying 2 astronauts
- Canadian police made 3 arrests in slaying of Sikh separatist leader
Recommendation
North Carolina trustees approve Bill Belichick’s deal ahead of introductory news conference
Vanderpump Rules Reunion Teases Most Emotional Cast Moment Yet—Yes, Really
Channing Tatum Accuses Ex Jenna Dewan of Using “Delaying Tactics” Amid Financial Legal Battle
Full transcript of Face the Nation, May 5, 2024
What to watch: O Jolie night
Kourtney Kardashian Shares Postpartum Struggles After Return to Work
Tom Cruise Poses For Photo With Kids Bella and Connor for First Time in Nearly 15 Years
Stock market today: Asian shares track Wall St’s advance fueled by cooler jobs data