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Everybody has come near the hazard that took the lives of Columbus Blue Jackets star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew.
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For those who depart your own home, you’ve been there. Dodging encounters with impaired or careless or belligerent drivers just like the one who killed the Gaudreau brothers.
The alleged driver of that car, Sean M. Higgins, is now charged with two counts of vehicular murder within the deaths of Columbus Blue Jackets star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew.
Higgins can also be charged with driving whereas intoxicated, possession of an open container, improper passing and consuming alcohol in a motorized vehicle. Witnesses say the Jeep Grand Cherokee he was driving was travelling at a excessive price of pace earlier than it tried to move on the suitable on a two-lane freeway and struck the Gaudreau brothers on their bikes.
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The tragedy has solid a shadow over the upcoming NHL season. It is going to be felt all over the place the sport is performed — together with throughout the Canadiens group, the place Laval coach Pascal Vincent is Gaudreau’s former Columbus coach and newly acquired Patrik Laine his former teammate.
The perpetually smiling Johnny Hockey was a favorite all over the place he performed and the Blue Jackets’ main scorer throughout his two seasons in Columbus. He’s irreplaceable, as is his brother, who won’t ever know the kid he has on the best way.
Each are gone due to a second of irrational impatience and an alleged drunk driver on the wheel. It’s known as an accident, however the accident, as my father used to say, is that there aren’t extra accidents.
We run into drivers just like the particular person behind the wheel of that Jeep nearly every day. The identify may be Tom, or Steve, or Pierre, or Luc, or Diane, or Karen. Of their fingers, an car or a truck isn’t a mode of transportation. It’s a weapon.
For those who drive, when you experience in automobiles, even when you take the bus, it’s unavoidable. For those who’re strolling, working, using a skateboard or a scooter or (heaven forbid) biking, you reside in fixed concern of the drivers who share the street and the deadly weapon they’ve of their fingers.
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It’s the man within the supersized SUV bullying you off the street as he expenses previous. Or the driving force of the massive, black Ford F-150 that’s all the time in your bumper, the motorbike veering out and in of visitors at 180 kilometres an hour, the Audi driver texting as she blows by means of a cease signal.
Or it’s the man who tries to move an SUV on the suitable and kills a few nice younger males out for a night bike experience.
We’ll by no means cease it, not utterly. Not when police ticket drivers who roll by means of a cease signal on an empty road at three kilometres an hour, slightly than the man tailgating at 140 in visitors.
We might be a lot harder with those that flip our highways into killing zones. Consecutive 10-year sentences for vehicular murder for the driving force who killed the Gaudreau brothers can be a superb begin.
Heavyweight tilt: After being punted from one NFL workforce to a different, star Canadian quarterback Nathan Rourke is again with the B.C. Lions. That’s nice information for the CFL, not so nice for the Alouettes, who will entertain Rourke and the Lions Friday night.
After a few video games to shake off the rust, in opposition to the a lot improved Ottawa Redblacks, Rourke regarded nearly just like the QB who tore up the league earlier than making an attempt his luck within the NFL. On Saturday he accomplished 21 of 30 passes for 3 touchdowns and only one interception, however the defence-driven 10-1 Alouettes current a harder problem.
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The Scorpions sting: Rourke received’t be the one distinguished visitor at Percival Molson Friday night. Additionally current will likely be members of the 1974 Laval Scorpions, who will likely be honoured because the final workforce to win the Little Gray Cup.
The Scorpions competed in what was generally known as the Quebec Juvenile Soccer League, a stepping stone between midget and junior soccer. Our resident statistician Tim Mell was a part of a workforce that went 8-0 within the common season earlier than defeating the Lachine Lakers within the Quebec playoffs after which blowing out the West Brant squad from Ontario 64-0 on the Autostade.
The Scorpions then stung the St. Important Mustangs in Winnipeg, 33-19, to make it to the championship tilt in Vancouver. There they beat the Oak Bay Farmers 18-0 in a torrential downpour to win the Little Gray Cup.
Situations have been a lot the identical at Vancouver’s Empire Stadium per week later, when the Alouettes accomplished the double by defeating the Edmonton Eskimos 20-7 to win the Large Gray Cup. That workforce was honoured when Edmonton was on the town. Friday night, it’s the flip of the Scorpions, whose feat (like their moniker) was immortal.
Heroes: Aurélie Rivard, Tess Routliffe, Nicholas Bennett, Keely Shaw, Mel Pemble, Shawn Lemon, Ellie Black, Caitlin Clark, Gabriel Diallo, the 1974 Laval Scorpions, Alexei Popyrin, Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Choose &&&& final however not least, Matthew and Johnny Gaudreau.
Zeros: Alexander Zverev, Bruce Pearl, Deion Sanders, Bev Priestman, John Herdman, Bianca Andreescu, these Canadian Bacon Olympic and Paralympic outfits from Lululemon, Bud Selig Jr., Claude Brochu, David Samson &&&& final however not least, Jeffrey Loria.
Now and perpetually.
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