A man has been arrested in the tragic deaths of NHL star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew.
Sean M. Higgins, a 43-year-old male from Woodstown, N.J. was taken into custody on the evening of Thursday, August 29 and charged with two counts of vehicular homicide, Us Weekly can confirm.
Higgins is suspected of being drunk when he swerved and hit Johnny, 31, and his brother, Matthew Gaudreau, 29, with his Jeep Cherokee while they were riding bicycles in Oldmans Township, N.J. shortly after 8:00 p.m.
The New Jersey State Police told Us that Higgins was traveling behind two vehicles when he “attempted to pass the slower-moving sedan and SUV, entered the southbound lanes of travel, passed the slower-moving sedan, and attempted to re-enter the northbound lanes of travel when the SUV in front of Higgins moved to the middle of the roadway, splitting the north and south lanes to safely pass the two pedalcyclist traveling north on the right side of the roadway.”
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When Higgins attempted to pass the SUV on the right, he struck both Johnny and Matthew “in the rear.”
“As a result of the collision, the two pedal cyclists sustained fatal injuries,” the police said.
According to court documents obtained by TMZ, Higgins admitted to having “5-6 beers” before the crash.
Police reported Higgins showed signs of being drunk, reeked of alcohol and admitted he had been drinking “prior to and while operating his vehicle.” Higgins told officers “his consumption of alcoholic beverages contributed to his impatience and reckless driving.”
He was administered field sobriety tests on scene and failed them all.
Higgins was booked, took a mugshot and remains in custody at the Salem County Correctional Facility as the crash remains “an active investigation.”
Both brothers were scheduled to be groomsmen in their sister Katie’s wedding on Friday, August 30.
Tributes for Johnny — affectionately known as “Johnny Hockey” — began to pour in after the death of the 11-year NHL veteran was revealed.
The Columbus Blue Jackets, who Johnny signed with in 2022, posted via X that the franchise was “shocked and devastated by this unimaginable tragedy.”
“Johnny was not only a great hockey player, but more significantly a loving father, son, brother and friend,” the post continued. “We extend our heartfelt sympathies to his wife, Meredith, his children Noa and Johnny, his parents, their family and friends on the sudden death of Johnny and Matthew.”
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The athlete and Meredith got married in 2021. Their daughter, Noa, turns 2 in October and son Johnny was born in February.
Boston College, where both Johnny and Matthew played collegiate hockey, posted their own tribute on social media.
“The entire BC community is stunned by the tragic news,” the school wrote via X. “Johnny Gaudreau was not only one of the greatest @BC_MHockey players but also one of the nicest. Matthew was a gifted player & beloved by teammates. Our prayers are with the Gaudreau family at this time of unimaginable loss.”
Matthew spent seven years playing minor league hockey after his time at Boston College. He married wife Madeline Gaudreau in July 2021 and was the acting head hockey coach at Gloucester Catholic High School in New Jersey where both brothers also played.
