Driver accused of killing Gaudreau brothers rejects plea deal, trial set

The driver accused of killing Columbus Blue Jackets forward Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew will go to a trial in January, with jury selection set to start Dec. 1.

During an Oct. 19 court hearing, Sean Higgins, 45, confirmed he would not take a plea deal, Dispatch news partner NBC4/WCMH-TV reported. Higgins is accused of driving under the influence and killing the Gaudreaus while they were riding bikes in New Jersey in August 2024.

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Judge Michael Silvanio said prosecutors offered a plea deal as part of which Higgins would plead guilty to two counts of aggravated manslaughter and one count of driving while intoxicated and be sentenced to 28 years in prison.

Higgins was indicted in December 2024 on two counts of reckless vehicular homicide, two counts of aggravated manslaughter, tampering with physical evidence and leaving the scene of a fatal crash. Silvanio said if Higgins was found guilty of all charges, he could be sentenced to up to 91½ years in prison.

Higgins declined the deal, which Silvanio said would mark the end of plea negotiations unless there was a remarkable outstanding circumstance. Higgins’ attorneys and the state also finalized demands for discovery.

Jury selection is set to begin Dec. 1 and last two weeks, with a trial scheduled to begin Jan. 4.The hearing came after Higgins’ lawyers claimed the Gaudreau brothers were biking in the roadway at the time of the crash and were “intoxicated beyond the legal limit.” The documents also claim Higgins could not have reasonably avoided them.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Driver accused of killing Gaudreau brothers rejects plea deal, trial set