The New Jersey driver accused of drunkenly crashing and killing NHL star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother just before their sister’s wedding suffered a major legal blow in court Monday.
Suspect Sean Higgins’ defense team failed to convince the court to throw out his damning statements to police at the crash scene and station, arguing they should be invalidated because officers didn’t read him his rights or immediately stop questioning when he asked about a lawyer, according to NJ.com.
Hockey-playing brothers Johnny (left) and Matthew Gaudreau were tragically killed last year by an alleged drunk driver while biking home from their sister’s wedding rehearsal in New Jersey. Katie Gaudreau/Facebook
Higgins, 44, now faces charges including vehicular homicide and aggravated manslaughter over the horrific crash on August 29, 2024.
After the horrific crash, he allegedly told officers in a trembling voice, "I hit them, I hit them."
Higgins allegedly admitted downing ‘five or six drinks’ before brutally striking 31-year-old NHL star Johnny Gaudreau and his 29-year-old brother Matthew, a former player and rising coach, as the brothers biked home from their sister’s wedding rehearsal in Oldmans.
According to NJ.com, Higgins’ defense argued that state troopers ignored proper procedure, questioning him without reading his Miranda rights even though they already had probable cause to charge him.
Suspect Sean Higgins, pictured with one of his lawyers, attempted to have his alleged confession to police thrown out in court. AP
Higgins’ lawyers pointed out that he asked police whether he should call a lawyer when they sought access to his phone records at the station, NJ.com reported.
Salem County prosecutors insisted that Higgins was properly read his rights at both the crash scene and the police station, and that he agreed to speak each time.
Judge Michael Silvanio ruled that Higgins’ incriminating statements can be presented at trial, a major setback for the defense. AP
Court video shown in proceedings, as reported by NJ.com, shows Higgins agreeing to continue talking without a lawyer when officers asked.
Judge Michael Silvanio ruled that authorities didn’t need to read Higgins his rights at the scene because they were merely trying to determine what happened, and that Higgins never formally requested a lawyer at the police station, according to the Columbus Dispatch.
Higgins has faced a series of legal setbacks ahead of his trial, including Judge Silvanio’s earlier rejection of his bid to keep Jeep evidence out of court.
His lawyers also unsuccessfully argued that the charges should be dropped or reduced, contending that the brothers had been more intoxicated than Higgins at the time of the crash.
Higgins allegedly passed two cars that had slowed for the brothers, who were riding single-file on their bikes, before violently crashing into them from the right.
