[imagesource: Konrad Baranski]

Bad things can happen to good people, especially when too much alcohol is added to the mix.

This chillingly tragic story of a drunk driver who killed his brother after looking for him out of fear that he would be knocked over by another car is a case in point.

Nathen Pearson, 32, and his beloved brother, Aden, 34, went drinking at a pub in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire on the evening of March 23, with no clue that the night would forever alter their lives.

Soon after driving to their father’s home in the town of Guyhirn following some heavy alcohol consumption, Aden (below) said he was going to walk about 10 kilometres home to see his dog:

Image: The Telegraph

After a few minutes without his “best friend”, Nathen (below), who has Asperger’s syndrome according to The Telegraph, hopped into a hire van to search for his sibling:

He got behind the wheel at just after 11pm but ended up hitting Aden, who was walking on the carriageway. Nathen Pearson attempted CPR and a passing motorist called an ambulance but Aden Pearson died at the scene just before midnight.

Image: The Telegraph

Nathen Pearson, who was more than twice above the legal limit of 35mcg of alcohol, told officers that he was concerned his brother was so drunk that he might get knocked over by a car or end up in a ditch.

The accident has left the family in tatters, with Nathen and Aden’s mother, father, and stepmother all making a case for how close the two siblings were.

Here’s their mother, Linda, speaking to the judge at Cambridge Crown Court:

“Nathen blames himself and it crucifies me to know that nothing I can do will ever ease his pain. All I can do is hug him and let him know that I am there. Having Nathen there is helping me through the pain.

“Nathen and I have plans to scatter Aden’s ashes together, something we will not be able to do it if he is sent to prison. He is all I have and I can’t lose a second son.”

Nathen has pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving while over the legal alcohol limit and has been sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for 21 months.

Besides the prison sentence, he has also been banned from driving for five years with an extended retest requirement, and must also complete 40 days of rehabilitation and 200 hours of unpaid work.

“Regardless of the sanctions imposed today by the court, Pearson will carry his own life sentence for causing the death of his brother,”, said Detective Sergeant Mark Dollard.

“If anything can be learned from this tragic case, it is that drink-driving ruins lives.”

[source:telegraph]