Driver indicted by Grand Jury in death of Gaudreau brothers

Theresa Braine, New York Daily News on Dec 12, 2024

Published in Hockey

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NEW YORK — A driver whose car allegedly hit NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, last August in New Jersey was indicted Wednesday.

Sean Higgins, 44, had a blood-alcohol level of .087 and failed a field sobriety test when arrested after his vehicle collided with the brothers around 8:30 p.m. on Aug. 29 as they rode their bikes while in town for their sister’s wedding the next day. The state’s legal limit is .08.

Higgins was indicted on counts of reckless vehicular homicide, aggravated manslaughter, tampering with physical evidence and leaving the scene of a fatal accident, Jeffrey Barile, executive assistant prosecutor with the Salem County Prosecutor’s Office, told The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Higgins has been detained since the accident. In body cam footage of his arrest released last week, he said he was “freaked out” and asked responding officers what had happened. He also told police he’d had “five or six” beers that day.

Gaudreau, 31, was a star player for the Columbus Blue Jackets after eight years with the Calgary Flames, and 29-year-old Matthew had played in the minor leagues before becoming a youth hockey coach.

The wives of both men were pregnant. Meredith Gaudreau, Johnny’s widow, revealed at his funeral that she was expecting their third child, and Matthew’s wife, Madeline Gaudreau, had been expecting their first. Her due date is Dec. 31.

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