NHL star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother were killed Thursday night while biking when they were hit by a suspected drunk driver, authorities confirmed, as the two were preparing to be groomsmen in their sister’s wedding on Friday.
Johnny Gaudreau, 31, and Matthew Gaudreau, 29, were cycling in Oldmans Township, New Jersey, when a driver attempting to pass another car fatally struck them, Sgt. Jeffrey Lebron of the New Jersey State Police said Friday in a statement. Both brothers were pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver, identified as 43-year-old Sean Higgins, was suspected of being under the influence of alcohol and was charged with two counts of death by auto, Lebron said. Higgins was booked into the Salem County Correctional Facility and appeared in a virtual courtroom Friday afternoon, where a judge said he could face up to 10 years of prison.
At the time, Higgins was represented by a public defender, but he said he planned to hire a private attorney.
Higgins’ detention trial is scheduled for next Thursday, Sept. 5. He nodded grimly when the judge informed him that he would have to remain in jail until then.
Johnny Gaudreau #13 of the Columbus Blue Jackets prior to a game against the Carolina Hurricanes on Feb. 29, 2024 in Columbus, Ohio. Ben Jackson / NHLI via Getty Images file
An affidavit of probable cause revealed that the responding police officer detected a