Johnny Gaudreau's Family Come Face To Face With Sean Higgins In Court

Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, were hit by a car and murdered while riding bikes on a New Jersey road near their family's home on Aug. 29.

Sean Higgins, 44, who has been charged with their deaths, made his first appearance in court in person Tuesday and a judge granted an extension of time for prosecutors to get an indictment.

Previous court hearings had been held virtually with Higgins participating from jail. This meant that the Gaudreau family, who were also in court, came face to face with the murderer of the two brothers.

According to authorities, Higgins, from New Jersey, was drunk at the time of the accident, as it is believed that he had consumed close to six beers before taking to the wheel.

Authorities further add that Higgins has a history of road rage and aggressive driving, making his case that much more grave.

Police said Higgins reported he had been driving around for roughly two hours on the evening of the accident, talking to a friend about a tough phone call with his mother.

A witness driving in front of Higgins testified that he was driving aggressively and that when she and another car both signaled left to pass the Gaudreau brothers cautiously, Higgins signaled right and sped past, hitting the brothers' bicycles.

Tests revealed that Higgins' blood alcohol content was .087, over New Jersey's limit of 0.08.

He also reportedly failed a field sobriety test. Charged with two counts of vehicular homicide, reckless driving, and having an open container of alcohol in a vehicle, Higgins could face up to 20 years in jail if convicted. Deemed a flight risk, Higgins remains jailed pending trial.

Johnny Gaudreau was a successful NHL player, coming into what was to be his third season in Columbus after having spent ten seasons with the Calgary Flames and Columbus Blue Jackets.