Judge upholds charges against driver in Gaudreau brothers’ deaths

A New Jersey judge has denied a motion to dismiss manslaughter charges against the driver accused of killing National Hockey League player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew in August 2024.

Sean M. Higgins faces multiple offences, including two counts of first-degree aggravated manslaughter, following the fatal collision.

The 45-year-old pleaded not guilty in January after rejecting a prosecution plea deal that carried a 35-year prison sentence.

Blood alcohol dispute

Defence attorneys had sought to have the indictment thrown out over alleged discrepancies in toxicology reporting.

Prosecutors initially stated the accused driver had a blood alcohol concentration of .087, which is above the state’s legal driving limit.

However, defence lawyers argued in February that a review of the whole blood sample showed a reading of .075.

They claimed the initial higher reading was misleading because it was based solely on a test of blood serum rather than the complete sample.

‘Extreme indifference’

The state countered that the blood alcohol level was just one element proving reckless conduct on the day of the tragedy.

Prosecutors maintain the defendant’s actions amounted to an extreme indifference to human life, which is a necessary threshold for an aggravated manslaughter conviction.

Superior Court Judge Michael Silvanio rejected the defence’s arguments during a hearing in Salem County on Monday.

“The evidence presented to the grand jury was adequate,” said the judge.

“There is no basis at this time to ask the state to represent, nor is there any basis to grant the motion to suppress.”

Next steps

The deaths of the former NHL forward and his younger brother prompted widespread tributes across the hockey community.

The siblings were fatally struck while riding their bicycles in New Jersey late last summer.

The accused is next scheduled to appear in court for a pretrial conference on 16 June.