Sean Higgins, 43, broke down in tears after virtually attending a court hearing and being denied bail following accusations he fatally struck former NHL star Johnny Gaudreau while driving drunk.
Higgins attended a virtual court hearing on Friday, and a judge has ordered that he be held for trial after prosecutors described a history of alleged road rage and aggressive driving. Higgins faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted, and prosecutors revealed that Higgins had a blood-alcohol level of .087 , above the .08 legal limit in New Jersey.
Gaudreau, 31, and his brother Matthew, 29, both died on Aug. 29 after being hit by an SUV while riding their bicycles on a rural road near their family home in New Jersey. The fatal incident came the night before the Gaudreau brothers were set to act as groomsmen for their sisters wedding.
Higgins of nearby Woodstown, New Jersey, is charged with two counts of death by auto, along with reckless driving, possession of an open container and consuming alcohol in a motor vehicle. Higgins admitted to police on the night of the incident that he's consumed "five to six beers" before driving.
"You were probably driving like a nut like I always tell you you do. And you don’t listen to me, instead you just yell at me," Higgins' wife said to the alleged drunk driver over the phone in jail according to prosecutors. The defense claimed that Higgins made a terrible mistake, but is a married father and good person.
"He’s an empathetic individual and he’s a loving father of two daughters," said defense lawyer Matthew Portella. "He’s a good person and he made a horrible decision that night."
The criminal complaint, which contained Higgins' admission of drinking beers, also states that the driver failed a field sobriety test. Higgins started drinking from home at 3 p.m. ET according to prosecutors, and had an emotional conversation with his mother before getting into his SUV.
It was then claimed that Higgins called his friend for two hours while driving around in his vehicle, doing so while having an open container. Prosecutors said that Higgins was driving recklessly and in an attempt to pass a vehicle ended up striking the Gaudreau brothers who were riding on the hard shoulder.
Superior Court Judge Michael J. Silvanio said of Higgins: "He indicated he didn’t even see them." Higgins has admitted that his lack of patience led to the death of two young men.
The sports world has been mourning the loss of Johnny Gaudreau, a talented, lovable NHL star who still had a bright future in hockey. Gaudreau had completed 10 seasons in the NHL, the majority of them with the Calgary Flames, but left Canada to sign for the Columbus Blue Jackets and be closer to his family.
Gaudreau was about to enter the third year of his seven-year, $68 million deal which he signed in 2022. His younger brother Matthew also played hockey but failed to reach the NHL. The two brothers were inseparable according to close family and friends, and spent as much time together as possible.
Both brother left behind wives, but Johnny was set to welcome his third child with wife Meredith. Gaudreau's widow tragically revealed at his funeral on Monday that she was pregnant, with both Meredith and Matthew's wife Madeline reading powerful eulogies.
"I urge everyone to never drink and drive," Madeline Gaudreau said. "Call a ride. Please do not put another family through this torture. The loss of Matty and John will leave a hole in the family, with his close friends, the community for eternity."
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