The public now has access to the heartbreaking 911 audio tapes from the death of NHL star Johnny Gaudreau. These were 911 calls made by witnesses after the hit-and-run that killed them this summer.
Videos by Wide Open Country
Jew Jersey authorities not only released the 911 audio recordings but the body camera footage as well. This footage came from the cops who arrived at the scene and caught the perpetrator.
Chilling 911 Audio Recordings After NHL Star Death
On August 29, 31-year-old Johnny and his 29-year-old brother Matthew were biking in the Philadelphia suburbs. This was happening late at night in the dark, and a drunk driver drove into the two of them. Apparently, the driver passed another vehicle that moved to make room for the bikers.
After the horrifying incident, one witness made an immediate call to 911 and said "I just witnessed a hit and run of two people on bikes. This is according to NJ.com.
Dispatchers tried to decipher their location and the victims' conditions as the caller described the "chaotic scene."
"Is anybody hurt?" the dispatcher inquired.
The caller then said, "yes, they're both on the ground."
They also said it was too dark to see anything when the 911 operator asked about the brothers' condition.
Other callers also attempted to search for the two victims, but it was impossible to spot them in the dark.
Body Camera Footage Of The Offender
The body camera footage then showed a state trooper talking to Sean M. Higgens, the driver. They found the 44-year-old man smoking a cigarette with a calm demeanor, despite the severity of the incident.
When the trooper asked where Higgens came from, he said "Taco Bell in Pennsville."
"Where were you before Taco Bell?" The officer pressed.
"At my house," Higgens replied.
Footage continued with the trooper inquiring about how much Higgens drank that day. "I mean, I've been drinking beers," the suspect said, "but I haven't had one in like two hours. Since the accident probably an hour or so."
When the trooper requested Higgens to get rid of the cigarette to perform sobriety tests, Higgens claimed to have had knee surgery recently.
"I'm just freaked out," Higgens said in response to the officer asking if he was injured in the crash. He looked to be walking around in pain, and when attempting to do sobriety tests he continued to pause and freak out, asking the trooper what to do again.
The trooper asked again about drinking, and Higgens opened up. "Since like noon today, like five or six," he answered. Once Higgens failed the sobriety tests, the officer handcuffed and arrested him.
Authorities discovered that both brothers died at the scene of the crime. Just the next day, their sister was planning to have her wedding but ended up rescheduling it. The brothers were going to be her groomsmen.
Johnny also left behind a widow who revealed her pregnancy with their third child during his funeral.
Higgens was charged with two counts of second-degree vehicular homicide. Also, they charged him with reckless driving, consuming alcohol in a vehicle, and possession of an open container. The offender now faces up to 10 years in prison.
