A suspected drunk driver killed Blue Jackets star forward Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Thursday evening while the two were bicycling in New Jersey.
Gaudreau, 31, and Matthew Gaudreau, 29, both died in the crash that happened along a rural road in Oldsman Township in Salem County, located in southwestern New Jersey about 30 miles south of Philadelphia, according to information provided by the New Jersey State Police.
Sean Higgins, 43, of Woodstown, New Jersey, was taken into custody on suspicion of being under the influence of alcohol, and police charged him with two counts of vehicular homicide, state police said.
Court records also show numerous traffic violations against Higgins, including operating under the influence of liquor or drugs, reckless driving, consuming alcoholic beverages in a motor vehicle, having an open alcoholic beverage in a vehicle, improper passing, and executing an unsafe lane change.
He is currently in the Salem County Correctional Facility.
According to court records, Higgins told police that he had five to six beers before and while driving his vehicle prior to the crash.
At his preliminary court hearing Friday, Higgins had his arraignment rescheduled to next Thursday and will remain in the Salem County jail until then. He was also instructed not to discuss the case with anyone while in jail except for his attorney.
According to a post on a popular wedding site, Gaudreau and his brother were scheduled to be groomsmen in their sister's wedding Friday in Philadelphia. Gaudreau had two young children, a daughter, Noa, and son, Johnny, with his wife Meredith and both were born in Columbus.
How did Johnny Gaudreau die?
According to New Jersey State Police, Higgins was northbound on County Road 551 in a Jeep Grand Cherokee behind a sedan and SUV around 8:19 p.m. on Thursday evening.
Higgins entered the southbound lanes to pass the slower-moving sedan and SUV. He then tried to re-enter the northbound lanes when the SUV in front of him moved to the middle of the roadway, splitting the north and south lanes, to safely pass the Gaudreau brothers traveling north on the right side of the roadway.
Higgins then tried to pass the SUV on the right and struck the Gaudreaus from behind, according to an incident report.
Suspect told police he had 5-6 beers before crash, including while driving
According to the criminal complaint against Higgins, he remained on the scene when law enforcement arrived at the scene of the crash.
Investigators noticed he smelled of alcohol, and he told police that he had drank five to six beers before and while driving before crash. Higgins also failed a field sobriety test.
Higgins told police he believed his drinking had led to his impatience and reckless driving that resulted in the crash, according to the criminal complaint.
Who is Johnny Gaudreau?
Gaudreau, 31, was the Blue Jackets’ top forward after signing in July 2022 as an unrestricted free agent from the Calgary Flames.
After two disappointing seasons, Gaudreau went into this summer with the intention of having a rebound year powered by his offseason training. That included playing for the United States in May at the men’s world championships in Czechia. Gaudreau impressed with three goals, eight assists and 11 points in eight games to finish third on the team in scoring and he tied for fourth in the tournament.
He also led the Blue Jackets with 12-48-60 in 81 games last season, the second year in a row Gaudreau led the team in points, but it was a 14-point drop from his first season in Columbus (2022-23). It was also 55 points lower than Gaudreau's final season in Calgary, which preceded his surprising decision in July 2022 to sign a seven-year deal with the Blue Jackets worth $68.25 million.
Cbehrens@dispatch.com
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: NJ man arrested in suspected drunk-driving crash that killed Blue Jackets' Johnny Gaudreau
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