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Johnny Gaudreau, a former Calgary Flames player, was fatally struck by a vehicle while cycling with his brother Matthew in New Jersey on Thursday. His brother was also killed in the collision.
Police identified the suspect as 43-year-old Sean M. Higgins. He was arrested and charged with two counts of death by auto, per Sportsnet. Officials released his mugshot on Friday.
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He was taken to the Salem County Correctional Facility, Sportsnet reported.
Higgins appeared virtually in court in Salem County on Friday and was ordered to remain in custody until his next hearing on Sept. 5, according to the New York Post.
During the proceedings, he asked Judge Michael J. Silvanio, “So…I’m here until Thursday?” the New York Post reported. Due to the long weekend, the regular 72-hour hold had been extended, said the judge.
Police suspected he had been under the influence of alcohol.
Higgins allegedly told an officer who responded to the scene that he had five or six beers before the collision and said he had consumed alcohol while driving, according to the criminal complaint, which was obtained by the Associated Press. The complaint also stated that Higgins failed a field sobriety test, per AP.
According to authorities, Higgins was driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee.
The fatal collision occurred around 8:19 p.m. on Thursday, while the vehicle was travelling northbound on County Road 551, The Columbus Dispatch reported. The Jeep tried to go around a “slow-moving sedan and SUV,” per the Dispatch, entering the southbound lanes.
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The Jeep got in front of the sedan and “tried to re-enter the northbound lanes when the SUV in front of him moved to the middle of the roadway, splitting the north and south lanes to safely pass the Gaudreau brothers traveling north on the right side of the roadway.”
The Jeep struck the Gaudreau brothers while trying to pass the SUV on the right, the Dispatch said.
The brothers were supposed to take part in their sister’s wedding, which was scheduled for Friday, People Magazine reported. A source told TMZ the wedding was cancelled after news of their deaths.
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