The driver accused of striking and killing hockey star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew Gaudreau will remain in jail until his trial, a Superior Court judge ordered Friday.
Sean Higgins admitted to having had “five or six beers” before driving on Aug. 29. Authorities said Higgins tried to recklessly pass two slower-moving vehicles when he struck and killed the Gaudreau brothers, who were riding their bikes on Pennsville-Auburn Road in rural Salem County. The vehicles Higgins was attempting to pass had been trying to safely overtake the Gaudreaus. Authorities said that after Higgins passed the first car on the left, he then moved to pass the lead car on the right and that’s when the fatal strike occurred.
New details of the fatal crash came to light in Friday’s detention hearing, including the fact that Higgins had a .087 blood-alcohol content at the time — New Jersey’s legal limit is 0.08 — and that he had a history of road rage incidents.
After prosecutors argued for Higgins’ continued detention, defense attorneys described him as a decorated Army veteran with a clean record.
Judge Michael Silvanio determined that Higgins was a flight risk and a potential threat to public safety, and ordered that he be kept in Salem County jail. His next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 15.
Higgins is charged with two counts of second-degree vehicular homicide. He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted on both counts.
