Dec. 12 (UPI) — A New Jersey grand jury has returned a six-count indictment charging the man accused of killing NHL star forward Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew Gaudreau, while driving drunk this summer.
Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau, ages 31 and 29 respectively, were killed late August when struck by a car while riding their bikes in Salem County, N.J.
Sean Higgins, 44, the driver of the vehicle, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of hitting the two men while driving under the influence of alcohol.
A Salem County grand jury returned an indictment on Wednesday charging Higgins with two counts of second-degree reckless vehicular homicide, two counts of first-degree aggravated manslaughter, fourth-degree tampering with physical evidence and second-degree leaving the scene of a fatal accident.
Authorities said the brothers were struck at around 8 p.m. on Aug. 29. A preliminary investigation found that Higgins was trying to pass a vehicle when he hit the cyclists riding on the side of the road.
Police body-worn camera footage of the arrest released last week shows officers running Higgins through a series of sobriety tests.
In the released video, Higgins tells the interviewing police officer that he had about “five or six” beers since noon with his last drink occurring about an hour or two prior to the accident.
After being handcuffed and before being placed in a police cruiser, he asks the interviewing officer, “Is everybody okay back there?”
“We’ll talk about that at the station,” the officer replied.
Prosecutors have since said he had a blood-alcohol content of 0.087, which is above the legal limit.
Higgins has remained in jail since his arrest.
The brothers’ deaths have have been felt widely throughout the hockey world.
Johnny Gaudreau was a forward and alternate captain of the Columbus Blue Jackets where he played the last two seasons of his 11-season career.
Matthew Gaudreau, also a forward, played four years at Boston College before going pro, playing for the AHL and ECHL affiliates of the New York Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers and the Calgary Flames.
The Gaudreaus were New Jersey natives and were home to attend their sister’s wedding when they were killed the night before.