Columbus Blue Jackets' Johnny Gaudreau killed in NJ crash involving suspected drunk driver

Columbus Dispatch ^ | August 30, 2014 | Brian Hedger and Cole Behrens

[Miami Rebel]

Simply heartbreaking. Stories like this really get to me because my brother's been a serious cyclist for almost 50 years and I always worry about him.

[silverleaf]

Road rage kills
The SUV that moved to center to avoid being passed…also is culpable maybe more so

[Night Hides Not]

The accident occurred 20 minutes after the sun went down, a very dangerous time of day.

[frogjerk]

The SUV in front of Higgins moved to the middle of the roadway, splitting the north and south lanes to safely pass the Gaudreau brothers traveling north on the right side of the roadway.

Your road-rage claim is bogus.

[God luvs America]

Its beyond horrible- they were saying it was an unspeakable tragedy and certainly it is...

I’ve not read if they came to a final conclusion if alcohol was involved in the auto death of Minnesota rookie CB Khyree Jackson, though cops suspected the car that him his vehicle had a drunk driver...

[avital2]

what a tragedy for the cyclists, their families. it will crush the happiness and joy of the impending wedding event. it’s impossible not to feel this deeply.

[PGR88]

Wow. this is huge news in the hockey world.

So very sad

[z3n]

I couldn’t follow the description events well. Dunno if it was the writer or my comprehension, but if I gather it correctly, the cars ahead might have been going slow because of the cyclists. This happened to me once, feeling impatient behind a car doing well below the speed limit and not seeing cyclists ahead due to a gentler curve in the road, so I went left to pass and saw the cyclists when I did, then backed off. I realized what I did wrong and ever since them I try to be more cognizant of why a driver might be going slow before I make any decisions.

[Vermont Lt]

He was the son of a classmate in college. Nice family.

This is really sad news.

[basalt]

they were both to be groomsman in their sisters wedding which was supposed to be tonight. Can this story get any worse??..horrific beyond words.

[Vermont Lt]

Then I re-read it and saw it was both of Guy’s boys. Oh my God. What a tragedy!

[kiryandil]

"Higgy in a hurry".

He'll be taking showers in prison in a hurry, presently.

[kiryandil]

The SUV in front of Higgins moved to the middle of the road, splitting the north and south lanes, to pass the Gaudreau brothers traveling north on their bikes.

Higgins tried to pass the SUV on the right and struck the two bicyclists in the rear, the highway patrol said.

That would get the death penalty, in my court.

Sentence to be carried out immediately.

[kiryandil]

The accident occurred 20 minutes after the sun went down, a very dangerous time of day.

Passing illegally on the right is very dangerous, too.

He'll be able to repent at his leisure under his cellmate and his cellmate's friends.

[kiryandil]

I try to be more cognizant of why a driver might be going slow before I make any decisions.

Much of the time on country roads, it's because they're getting close to home.

Many don't pop their turn signal until they're right on top of their driveway.

[kiryandil]

Your road-rage claim is bogus.

I would classify passing on the right as "road rage", in most instances.

[fella]

Many States, counties and/or cities say to give 3 or 6 feet of clearance when passing cyclists. On a 2 lane road that means you’ve got to get into the on-coming lane especially if cyclist’s are traveling side by side. Mixing bicycles and motor vehicles on a well traveled road after dark is a tort lawyers dream.

[montag813]

This should be a death penalty offense

[marktwain]

This happened well after sunset, well after last twilight. I read the time was 8:20 p.m.

Sunset was about 7:30 p.m.

I wonder what kind of lights they had on the bikes.

[vivenne]

Maybe the SUV driver saw Higgins driving erratically and saw the cyclists and tried to protect them.