- A drunk driver accidentally killed his brother while searching for him after a night of drinking.
- Nathen Pearson, 32, went to look for his older brother because he feared for his safety.
- He accidentally hit and killed his brother, who he called his "best friend."
A drunk driver accidentally killed his brother while searching for him after a night of drinking, reports say.
Nathen Pearson, 32, drove a hired van to look for his older brother, Aden, because he was afraid he would be hit by a car or fall into a ditch, according to The Telegraph.
The two brothers had spent the evening drinking at a pub before driving to their father's home in Cambridgeshire, England, on March 23.
The elder Pearson decided to walk to his home, about six miles away, to see his dog, the paper said.
Nathen Pearson began to worry for his brother's safety and left just after 11pm to search for him, despite efforts from his family to persuade him not to go, per the paper.
Pearson hit his brother with the van as he walked along the road. He attempted CPR, and the paper said a passing driver called an ambulance, but Aden Pearson died just before midnight at the scene.
Nathen Pearson, who has Asperger's syndrome, described his brother as his "best friend," according to the paper.
His parents told the judge at Cambridge Crown Court that the brothers were exceptionally close and that Nathen Pearson was distraught over the incident.
"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," his mother Linda said, according to The Telegraph.
His father, Jason, said: "I'm so very sorry. Nathen should never have been given the responsibility of looking after us. He now needs the help of his family to get through the living hell he is going through."
Pearson admitted at an earlier hearing to causing death by careless driving over the legal alcohol limit, the paper reported. He was more than twice over the legal limit of 35mcg of alcohol.
He was given a two-year prison sentence suspended for 21 months when in court on Monday, the paper said.
Pearson was also banned from driving for five years with an extended retest requirement and must complete 40 days of rehabilitation and 200 hours of unpaid work, per the paper.
Detective Sergeant Mark Dollard of the Beds, Cambs and Herts (BCH) Road Policing Unit told the MailOnline: "This is another case that shows the dangers and consequences of drink-driving."
"Pearson left his house that night intending to protect his brother, but due to his alcohol consumption, he did exactly the opposite and knocked him down."
"If anything can be learned from this tragic case, it is that drink-driving ruins lives."