New evidence challenges crash scene in case of NHL star Johnny Gaudreau's death
Defense lawyers have filed photos and schematics from the New Jersey collision that killed Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, arguing the cyclists were in the travel lane, not the shoulder.
In a recent filing, the defense for Sean Higgins, the driver accused of killing NHL forward Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, presented photographs of the wrecked bikes and his severely damaged SUV, together with a schematic of the crash site. The diagram suggests the brothers were riding within the northbound travel lane, contrary to police statements that placed them on the narrow shoulder. A defense expert argued that no physical evidence definitively determines the lateral or longitudinal point of impact, calling the shoulder-riding assumption "bizarre".
The filing also points out the cyclists were riding without required lights on a poorly lit road segment. Higgins, a 45-year-old army veteran, faces trial on charges of driving with a blood-alcohol level of.087 after the August 29, 2024 crash in Oldmans Township. His attorneys are demanding that Salem County prosecutors disclose the evidence used in their reconstruction. The case remains pending ahead of the January 5 trial date.
Why it matters
The new evidence could reshape the legal narrative in a high-profile fatal crash involving a well-known athlete.
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