NHL Star's Family Demands Justice as Driver in Fatal Crash Seeks to Keep Confessions Excluded from Trial
The family of NHL star Johnny Gaudreau is still reeling from the devastating loss he and his brother Matthew suffered at the hands of a drunk driver. Sean Higgins, 32, has been charged with reckless vehicular homicide, aggravated manslaughter, and other related charges in connection with the fatal crash that occurred on August 29, 2024.
Higgins' defense team is now fighting to have his confessions to police excluded from trial, citing concerns about whether he was properly read his Miranda rights. The driver allegedly made incriminating statements to officers at the scene of the accident and later at a hospital where he was being tested for intoxication.
According to testimony presented in court, Higgins told police that he had been drinking "five or six" beers before the crash, which resulted in an alcohol level of 0.087 – slightly higher than New Jersey's legal limit of 0.08. When asked if anyone was dead at the scene, Higgins replied, "I hit them. I hit them."
The officers who responded to the accident described Higgins as "frantic" and instructed him to stay where he was while they attended to the victims. The police also found a strong odor of alcohol on his breath.
Prosecutors argue that Higgins was properly read his rights before speaking with police, but his defense team claims that he was not fully informed about his rights at the scene of the accident. They are seeking to have any statements made by Higgins during this time excluded from trial.
Higgins is facing up to 70 years in prison if convicted on all counts. His family and fans across the country will be watching closely as this case unfolds, hoping for justice to be served in a tragic and avoidable event.
The family of NHL star Johnny Gaudreau is still reeling from the devastating loss he and his brother Matthew suffered at the hands of a drunk driver. Sean Higgins, 32, has been charged with reckless vehicular homicide, aggravated manslaughter, and other related charges in connection with the fatal crash that occurred on August 29, 2024.
Higgins' defense team is now fighting to have his confessions to police excluded from trial, citing concerns about whether he was properly read his Miranda rights. The driver allegedly made incriminating statements to officers at the scene of the accident and later at a hospital where he was being tested for intoxication.
According to testimony presented in court, Higgins told police that he had been drinking "five or six" beers before the crash, which resulted in an alcohol level of 0.087 – slightly higher than New Jersey's legal limit of 0.08. When asked if anyone was dead at the scene, Higgins replied, "I hit them. I hit them."
The officers who responded to the accident described Higgins as "frantic" and instructed him to stay where he was while they attended to the victims. The police also found a strong odor of alcohol on his breath.
Prosecutors argue that Higgins was properly read his rights before speaking with police, but his defense team claims that he was not fully informed about his rights at the scene of the accident. They are seeking to have any statements made by Higgins during this time excluded from trial.
Higgins is facing up to 70 years in prison if convicted on all counts. His family and fans across the country will be watching closely as this case unfolds, hoping for justice to be served in a tragic and avoidable event.
. It's hard to imagine that a guy who was clearly drunk and reckless behind the wheel could possibly claim he wasn't properly informed about his rights at the scene of the accident 
. I mean, come on, 0.087 blood alcohol level? That's way over the limit, dude! And those officers described him as frantic – can you blame them?! 
It seems like Higgins is trying to spin this whole thing in his favor and avoid taking responsibility for his actions 
. His family's pain and grief are being ignored, and that's just not right 
. This whole case stinks of a desperate attempt to get off the hook, if you ask me 
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. My heart goes out to their family, it's just senseless that this had to happen. I mean, who drinks and drives? It's like they're putting a price on lives 
. The fact that the driver was intoxicated is just unacceptable, and now he's trying to wriggle out of taking responsibility for what happened? No way! His confession should be admissible in court, it sounds like a clear-cut case of reckless behavior 
. I hope justice is served soon and his family can start healing 
what's wrong with people?! 
A drunk driver causes a fatal crash and now he's trying to get off scot-free?! 
. And now he's trying to deny saying those things? 
That's just not believable!
. He was totally drunk and couldn't walk straight 
. It's not like he was reading his rights or anything before spilling all the tea to the cops 
.
. I say give him the book! 
Justice needs to be served, and fast 
! We need to make sure that drunk driving is taken seriously and people are held accountable for their actions 
Can you believe this guy's BAC was like 0.087? That's crazy high! 
Anyway, stats show that in the US, DUI fatalities are down by 20% since 2020 due to increased enforcement and public awareness campaigns... or so I thought 
️
Anyway, this case is just a harsh reminder that we all need to be more responsible behind the wheel.
Higgins' defense team is trying to make excuses for his actions but it sounds like he was pretty reckless behind the wheel. 0.087 is way over the limit - who knows what else he might have been doing while driving? 
The fact that he made those incriminating statements to police and hospital staff doesn't help him out either... I think justice should be served, no matter how guilty Higgins feels 
.
I just hope this case helps raise awareness about the dangers of drunk driving and makes people think twice before getting behind the wheel after having a few too many drinks 
Ugh, this is just getting worse by the day. So the drunk driver's defense team thinks they can just argue that his confessions were coerced because he wasn't fully read his rights at the scene? Like, hello, it's not like he's some innocent victim here who didn't know what was going on - he was driving around with a BAC of 0.087 and killed two people!