“To know these two was to love these two,” said the Gaudreaus’ sister, Katie, via Instagram on Monday next to a family photo of the brothers smiling in formal attire. “There are absolutely no words I have to express the bond my family shared. The entire world knows there would never have been a John without Matty or Matty without John. The absolute best big brothers a little girl could have asked for.”
The sister of NHL star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew,both of whom were killed by an alleged drunk driver who crashed into them as they rode bicycles last week in New Jersey , has posted a heartfelt tribute to her siblings on social media, calling them the “absolute best big brothers a little girl could have asked for.”
She said her posting “will never be a goodbye post because I will never stop saying your names and honoring you both. I’ll take the best care of mom, dad, Kristen, Mer, Madeline, and your babies.”
The brothers, both of whom played hockey at Boston College, were struck by an alleged drunk driver operating a Jeep Grand Cherokee, identified by New Jersey State Police as Sean M. Higgins, 43, of Woodstown, N.J.
Higgins is due in court Thursday for a motion hearing, officials said.
According to police, the brothers were riding on County Route 551 — a two-lane highway in a rural area — in Oldmans Township around 8:19 p.m. Aug. 29 when they were fatally injured. Higgins was traveling north when he shifted to the southbound lane so he could pass a car and SUV traveling ahead of him.
When he tried to return to the northbound lane, the driver of the SUV had moved into the center of the highway to “safely pass the two pedal cyclists traveling north on the right side of the roadway,” police said.
“Higgins then attempted to pass the SUV on the right and struck the two pedal cyclists [from behind],” police said. “As a result of the collision, the two pedal cyclists sustained fatal injuries.”
Higgins stayed at the scene, and after further investigation by troopers, was charged with two counts of death by auto, along with reckless driving, possession of an open container, and consuming alcohol in a motor vehicle. He was jailed at the Salem County Correctional Facility.
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According to the criminal complaint obtained by The Associated Press, Higgins told a responding officer he had five or six beers prior to the crash and admitted to consuming alcohol while driving. He failed a field sobriety test, the complaint said, though his blood-alcohol level was not immediately available.
The Associated Press also reported that the Gaudreau brothers were in the area for their sister’s wedding, which was scheduled for Friday in Philadelphia. The Gaudreau brothers, who were to be groomsmen in the wedding, are from Carneys Point, N.J.
“The whole world is crying for your family,” one woman responded to the Instagram post from the Gaudreau brothers’ sibling. “Praying that somehow you all find peace.”
Johnny Gaudreau, a high-scoring forward for the Calgary Flames right out of BC in the spring of 2014 and a member of the Blue Jackets the past two seasons, was 31. He played at BC from 2011-14.
In eight seasons with the Flames, he had 210 goals and 399 assists before signing a seven-year, $68.25 million contract with Columbus in July 2022. He scored 33 goals to go with 101 assists in two seasons with the Blue Jackets.
Matthew Gaudreau, a 2017 BC graduate, was 29. Also a forward, he played four seasons of minor league hockey, including parts of three seasons with the ECHL Worcester Railers.
““It’s with great sadness, we mourn the tragic deaths of our friend Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew Gaudreau,” the Flames said in a statement on X. “Our hearts are broken by this devastating loss. Johnny was and always will be a member of the Flames family and loved by all of Calgary.”
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Material from prior Globe stories was used in this report, and John R. Ellement of the Globe Staff contributed.
Travis Andersen can be reached at travis.andersen@globe.com.