Six weeks after Columbus Blue Jackets forward Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew Gaudreau, were killed in New Jersey, the investigation into their deaths continues.
Johnny Gaudreau, 31, and Matthew, 29, died on Aug. 29 after being struck by a Jeep while bicycling. They were in town for their sister's wedding, which had been scheduled for the following day.
The brothers were riding along the shoulder of a road in Oldmans Township, New Jersey, near their childhood home.
What happened in the Johnny Gaudreau crash?
New Jersey State Police said 43-year-old Sean Higgins was the third car behind the brothers around 8 p.m. when he tried to pass the other two vehicles on the left.
One of the vehicles, an SUV closest to the brothers, started moving to the left to create room for the brothers. Police and New Jersey prosecutors have said Higgins accelerated around that SUV on the right, driving into the Gaudreau brothers, who both died at the scene.
The police said Higgins told officers he had consumed "five to six" beers before and while he was driving. At a court appearance in September , prosecutors said Higgins' blood alcohol level was registered through a blood draw at 0.087%, over the legal limit of 0.08%.
Salem County Assistant Prosecutor Jonathan Flynn said Higgins had been going over the posted 50 mph speed limit, and Higgins told state troopers he "didn't even see the bikes."
Higgins is charged with two counts of vehicular homicide , as well as several traffic violations.
Who called 911 from the Johnny Gaudreau crash?
New Jersey authorities have not released the 911 calls placed from the scene, among other records.
The estates of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau have filed a request with a New Jersey court to bar the release of those calls, as well as any crash reports, investigative reports and autopsy reports that media outlets, including The Dispatch, have requested.
A New Jersey judge ruled the records could be released, but state police and a local prosecutor's office have both indicated the records are still unlikely to be released . New Jersey law allows for considerations to be made to protect the privacy of victims.
What else do we know about the crash?
According to Flynn, Higgins' wife said her husband had begun drinking at home about 3 p.m. He got upset after a phone call with a relative, left his house and drove around in his Jeep Grand Cherokee during a two-hour phone conversation with a friend.
Flynn said there was no immediate indication the Gaudreau brothers did anything that would have contributed to the crash.
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Higgins, whose wife also told investigators he would frequently drive aggressively, had been tailgating the vehicle directly in front of him, dropping back and slowing down and then approaching again at a high rate of speed before passing on the left, Flynn said.
Higgins made statements on recorded phone calls from the jail where he is being held in which he expressed regret over what happened and admissions about facts of the case, Flynn said.
The estimated speed at which Higgins was traveling has not been released, although Flynn said the two drivers Higgins attempted to pass both said they were driving about 55 mph, with the implication Higgins was traveling faster than that.
The extent of the injuries both Gaudreau brothers suffered has not been released.
When is Sean Higgins due back in court?
Higgins' next court date was scheduled for Tuesday. However, that court date, a pre-indictment conference, is being rescheduled, according to New Jersey court personnel.
In New Jersey, these conferences are for the parties to discuss the possibility of resolving a case before a grand jury reviews the evidence through a plea agreement.
If no resolution is reached at the pre-indictment conference, a grand jury will review the case for possible indictment.
How are the Columbus Blue Jackets remembering Johnny Gaudreau?
The Blue Jackets have added a remembrance to the signage outside Nationwide Arena and intend to honor both Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau in a pregame ceremony on Tuesday before the team's home opener against the Florida Panthers.
The team will wear patches on their jerseys and a helmet decal honoring the brothers throughout the season. Other NHL teams will wear helmet decals to honor the brothers through the games on Oct. 24.
At Tuesday's game, the Blue Jackets and the Florida Panthers will wear No. 13 warmup jerseys with "Gaudreau" on the back. Blue Jackets players will sign their jerseys, and then a raffle will auction off those warmups. Proceeds will go to the John and Matthew Gaudreau Foundation, created by the Gaudreau family in honor of the brothers after their deaths.
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The gameday 50/50 raffle and a gameday auction of unique team-signed and select Johnny Gaudreau-signed items will also benefit the Gaudreau brothers' foundation.
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Lapel pins featuring the same design as the Blue Jackets' helmet decals will also be on sale at the Blue Jackets Foundation kiosk inside Nationwide Arena.
The team has a standing invitation for Johnny Gaudreau's father, former coach Guy Gaudreau, to join them at practice . The Blue Jackets have a new player of the game award, which is a hat with donkey ears and a tail, a nod to Johnny Gaudreau's affectionate nickname for teammates. His jersey will hang in a locker stall for every Blue Jackets game, home and away this season. And Blue Jackets players rallied behind the Gaudreaus in late September, coming together locally to celebrate the second birthday of Johnny Gaudreau's daughter , Noa, and sending the family photos from their gathering.
Johnny Gaudreau's wife, Meredith, announced during her eulogy at the brothers' joint funeral that she is pregnant with the couple's third child.
Matthew Gaudreau's wife, Madeline, is also pregnant, expecting a boy the couple planned to name Tripp, in late 2024.
bbruner@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Johnny Gaudreau: Here's the latest on the investigation into the NHL star's death
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