The driver who struck and killed NHL star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew as they cycled along a New Jersey highway on Thursday night appeared to sigh in frustration after discovering he is being held in jail until next week.
Sean M. Higgins, 43, was charged with drunk driving after the horror smash in Salem County, New Jersey, that claimed the Gaudreau brothers’ lives.
The crash happened less than three miles from the Gaudreau family home, hours before Johnny and Matthew were to act as groomsmen in their sister Katie’s wedding.
Today, the family has swapped a day of celebration for mourning, issuing a heartbreaking statement to the brothers whose lives were cut short.
To add to the tragedy, it has also emerged that Matthew’s wife, Madeline, is currently pregnant and expecting to deliver their first child in December.
Higgins, who told police he’d downed ‘five or six’ beers before the fatal accident, made his first court appearance on Friday in Salem County Court via video link.
The driver who struck and killed NHL star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew appeared to sigh in frustration after discovering he is being held in jail until next week
Sean M. Higgins, who is accused of killing the Gaudreau brothers while under the influence of alcohol in a horror crash, admitted he had ‘five or six’ drinks before getting behind the wheel
Johnny, a 31-year-old NHL veteran who had spent the last two seasons with the Blue Jackets, was cycling with younger sibling Matthew, 29, on the eve of their sister Katie’s wedding when the fatal crash occurred (Pictured: Gaudreau with wife Meredith and their two children)
Higgins is accused of being intoxicated when he collided with Gaudreau and his brother
Both Matthew (pictured with wife Madeline) and Johnny were set to be groomsmen at their sister’s wedding on Friday
After being told by judge Michael J. Silvanio that he must remain in custody for another six days, he could be heard asking in apparent disbelief: ‘So… I’m here until Thursday?’
Silvanio then explained that the usual 72-hour holding period was being extended due to the holiday weekend, prompting Higgins to lean back in his chair and let out a heavy sigh – despite the fact he is facing two counts of second degree vehicle manslaughter.
He appeared on the video link wearing a dark-green vest with velcro on the shoulders and a bandage on his wrist and appeared expressionless as the judge recounted how the accident claimed the lives of the Gaudreau brothers.
Police records obtained by DailyMail.com reveal what Higgins told the first officers on the scene, and how the horror unfolded.
Higgins was two cars behind the Gaudreau brothers, driving north on County Road 551, when he veered into the southbound lane to overtake the vehicles in front of him. He passed one with ease and was about to overtake the second – an SUV – when its driver veered into the middle of the road to safely pass Johnny and Matthew.
Higgins then cut back into the northbound lane – knocking them both down and killing them.
Higgins made his first court appearance on Friday in Salem County Court via video link
The 43-year-old appeared to let out a sigh when he was told he must stay in custody until next Thursday, September 5
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The driver remains in custody awaiting his first court appearance.
In a heartbreaking statement on Friday, the devastated Gaudreau family paid tribute to the siblings.
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Heartbreaking final photo emerges of Johnny Gaudreau with wife Meredith and kids
‘Last night, we lost two husbands, two fathers, two sons, two brothers, two sons and brothers in law, two nephews, two cousins, two family members, two teammates, two friends but truly two amazing humans.
‘We want to let everyone know we are receiving your messages of love and support and we appreciate your continued thoughts and prayers.
‘We ask for your continued respect and privacy during this very difficult period of grief.’
Johnny leaves behind wife Meredith, whom he married in September 2021, and two young children in one-year-old daughter Noa and baby boy Johnny, who was born just six months ago.
Meredith was due to be one of his sister’s maids of honor at the wedding on Friday, and their children were to act as ringbearers and flower girls.
In a statement to DailyMail.com, New Jersey State Police Troopers confirmed they responded to a motor vehicle crash at 8:19 pm. on County Route 551 North, milepost 11.1 Oldmans Township, Salem County.
The two brothers were struck and killed by another vehicle on Pennsville Auburn Road near Stumpy Lane
New Jersey State Police Troopers confirmed they responded to a crash at 8:19 pm
Matthew (left) and Johnny (right) both plied their trade on the ice at Boston College
Columbus paid tribute to both brothers in a statement while expressing their sympathies for the Gaudreau family
‘Higgins then attempted to pass the SUV on the right and struck the two pedalcyclists in the rear. As a result of the collision, the two pedalcyclists sustained fatal injuries.
‘Through further investigation, Higgins was suspected of being under the influence of alcohol, charged with two counts of death by auto, and lodged in the Salem County Correctional Facility. This crash remains an active investigation, and no additional information is available.’
Columbus released a statement confirming their player’s passing on Friday morning, admitting they will ‘miss him terribly’ while expressing their sympathy for his family.
‘The Columbus Blue Jackets are shocked and devastated by this unimaginable tragedy,’ the statement reads. ‘Johnny was not only a great hockey player, but more significantly a loving husband, father, son, brother and friend.
‘We extend our heartfelt sympathies to his wife, Meredith, his children, Noa and Johnny, his parents, their family and friends on the sudden loss of Johnny and Matthew.’
‘Johnny played the game with great joy which was felt by everyone that saw him on the ice. He brought a genuine love for hockey with him everywhere he played from Boston College to the Calgary Flames to Team USA to the Blue Jackets.
‘He thrilled fans in a way only Johnny Hockey could. The impact he had on our organization and our sport was profound, but pales in comparison to the indelible impression he made on everyone who knew him.
Johnny, an NHL veteran, had spent the last two seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets
Matthew (right) was a professional hockey player in the ECHL, most recently playing for the Worcester Railers
It is believed he and brother Matthew were killed on the eve of their sister Katie’s wedding to partner Devin Joyce (Pictured: Katie and Devin rehearsing for their wedding)
Johnny and wife Meredith had two children together, welcoming daughter Noa first in October 2022
The hockey player’s wife then gave birth to their baby son Johnny just six months ago
Johnny and Meredith tied the knot in September 2021, a year after he popped the question
‘Johnny embraced our community when he arrived two years ago, and Columbus welcomed him with open arms. We will miss him terribly and do everything that we can to support his family and each other through this tragedy.
‘At this time, we ask for prayers for the Gaudreau family and that their privacy be respected as they grieve.’
Johnny had played 11 professional seasons in the league and was going into his third with the Blue Jackets. He played his first nine with the Calgary Flames, a tenure that included becoming one of the sport’s top players and a fan favorite across North America.
At 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds, he was part of a generation of hockey players who thrived in an era of speed and skill that made being undersized less of a disadvantage. He scored 20-plus goals six times and was a 115-point player in 2021-22 as a first-time NHL All-Star when he had a career-best 40 goals and 75 assists.
Gaudreau helped Boston College win the NCAA championship in 2012 and in 2014 took home the Hobey Baker Award as the top college player in the country before becoming a fourth-round pick of Calgary’s in 2011.
As a professional, he was part of the NHL all-rookie team during his first season in the league and was third in voting for the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year in 2014-15.
Matthew had been married to wife Madeline for three years after marrying in July 2021
Both brothers were set to be groomsmen for their sister Katie (second from left) this weekend
Johnny pictured with daughter Noa, wife Meredith, sister Katie and his soon-to-be brother-in-law Devin (left)
Gaudreau was a point-a-game player with 642 points in 644 regular-season and playoff games since breaking into the league. He most recently signed a seven-year contract in 2022 worth nearly $69 million that put him and his young family in central Ohio, closer to his family in New Jersey.
He holds the men’s world championship records by a U.S. player with 30 assists and 43 points, earlier this year breaking marks previously held by Patrick Kane.
Matthew, meanwhile, was a professional hockey player in the ECHL, most recently playing for the Worcester Railers in the 2021-22 season. He also spent a season with the Reading Royals.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman also released a statement after the death of the Gaudreau brothers, saying the league is ‘shocked and saddened’ by the tragic news.
‘While Johnny’s infectious spirit for the game and show-stopping skills on the ice earned him the nickname ‘Johnny Hockey’, he was more than just a dazzling hockey player; he was a doting father and beloved husband, son, brother and teammate who endeared himself to every person fortunate enough to have crossed his path,’ Bettman said.
Matthew pictured playing for the Boston College Eagles in November 2015
His brother was part of the NHL all-rookie team during his first season in the league
‘We send our most heart-felt condolences to his wife Meredith; their children, Noa and Johnny; his parents, Guy and Jane; and sistters Kristen and Katie. And we grieve alongside his teammates, members of the Blue Jackets and Flames organizations, his many friends in hockey and countless fans around the world for whom he created indelible memories on and off the ice.’
Johnny and Meredith tied the knot just over a year after the hockey forward proposed, though it is unclear when or how the couple first met.
They welcomed their first child, daughter Noa, in October 2022 before Meredith gave birth to son Johnny in February of this year.