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Authorities in New Jersey have not said how fast the accused driver was going when he struck and killed brothers and hockey players Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau this summer.

During Sean M. Higgins’ final appearance in September, Jonathan Flynn, the assistant Salem County prosecutor who oversaw the case, suggested that the 50 mph speed limit was being exceeded.

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As reported by The Columbus Dispatch, he also said that the two drivers Higgins tried to pass prior to the collision estimated their speed at 55 mph (about 88 kilometers per hour), suggesting Higgins was driving even faster.

It may have been some of the information presented during a pre-indictment conference originally scheduled for Tuesday but later rescheduled.

Details that are unlikely to be released publicly include the 911 calls and other details from the scene.

Although a judge has ruled that the documents can be released publicly despite both men’s estates filing a motion to prevent it, The Dispatch reported that police and prosecutors are unlikely to do so because state law gives them the freedom cares about projecting the victims. privacy.

Higgins, a 43-year-old Iraq War veteran and married father of two from Woodstown, N.J., is charged with two counts of vehicular manslaughter after hitting the brothers as they drove along a roadway in New Jersey cycled. of their younger sister’s wedding.

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He is also charged with reckless driving, possession of an open container and consuming alcohol in a motor vehicle.

In New Jersey, pre-indictment conferences are meetings about the crime, known in most other states as a misdemeanor, where the judge, prosecutor and defense discuss the evidence in the case and decide how to proceed.

Often, the prosecutor will offer the suspect the opportunity to plead guilty or plead no contest, potentially reducing the sentence.

The maximum penalty for manslaughter by motor vehicle charge is 10 years, meaning Higgins could face up to 20 years in prison.

Jeremy Lackey, a New Jersey criminal lawyer and partner at Lackey & Miller LLC, told the Calgary Herald that even if a plea deal is offered, he expects Higgins’ lawyer to dispute allegations that their client suffered harm.

As reported by The Associated Press, the criminal complaint against Higgins states that he told an officer at the scene that he had drunk five or six beers before the collision and admitted that he had been drinking while driving. During a September bail hearing, which was ultimately denied, the prosecutor alleged that Higgins began drinking at home after a work call ended around 3 p.m. and after a disturbing conversation with his mother.

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Higgins’ blood alcohol level after the accident was recorded at 0.087, just above the state’s legal limit of 0.08.

Lackey also said the state is not obligated to settle and that the case could go before the grand jury, which will decide whether to charge Higgins and send him to trial.

“The usual course of action is that there (will) be some negotiation between the date (before the indictment) and the indictment, especially if you think it will be to your client’s benefit,” Lackey said.

This weekend, Matthew’s widow, Madeline Gaudreau, was likely back on the minds of the upcoming conference as she celebrated the baby shower for their first child.

The expectant mother posted a series of photos to her Instagram account on Sunday, revealing the boy’s name as Tripp. Among the guests were Meredith Gaudreau, her sister-in-law and Johnny’s widow. She is also pregnant, a fact she revealed at the couple’s funeral in September.

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