The driver charged in the deaths of NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew was legally drunk at the time of the fatal collision on August 29, according to prosecutors in New Jersey.
Sean Higgins, 43, is charged with two counts of death by auto as well as reckless driving, possession of an open container and consuming alcohol in a motor vehicle.
‘You were probably driving like a nut like I always tell you you do,’ his wife told Higgins when he called her from jail following his arrest, according to First Assistant Prosecutor Jonathan Flynn of Salem County. ‘And you don’t listen to me, instead you just yell at me.’
The Woodstown, New Jersey resident made a virtual court appearance on Friday, where he was ordered to stand trial over the objection of his attorneys, who argued that he a married father and law-abiding citizen prior to the fatal crash.
‘He´s an empathetic individual and he’s a loving father of two daughters,’ said Higgins’ attorney, Matthew Portella. ‘He´s a good person and he made a horrible decision that night.’
Gaudreau, 31, and his 29-year-old brother Matthew, died last month after being struck by Higgins’ vehicle while out cycling in New Jersey the night before their sister Katie’s wedding.
Sean M. Higgins, top, the alleged drunken driver appears before Judge Michael Silvanio
Gaudreau, 31, and his 29-year-old brother Matthew, died last month after being struck by Higgins’ vehicle while out cycling in New Jersey the night before their sister Katie’s wedding
In documents seen by DailyMail.com, alleged drunk-driver Higgins admitted to cops that he drank ‘5-6 beers’ before getting behind the wheel of his Jeep Grand Cherokee and crashing into the Gaudreau brothers.
He also failed a sobriety test.
The crash happened less than three miles from the Gaudreau family home, hours before Katie was due to marry partner Devin Joyce.
Prosecutors said Friday that Higgins had been drinking at home since about 3pm after having an upsetting conversation with a family member that day.
Higgins does have previous incidents of reckless driving and road rage, Flynn told the courtroom on Friday.
Flynn said that Higgins was annoyed when two drivers ahead of him slowed to avoid the Gaudreaus as they pedaled their bikes along a rural road. Higgins allegedly tried to pass the cars on the right-hand side, which is when he ran into the Gaudreau brothers.
‘He indicated he didn´t even see them,’ said Superior Court Judge Michael J. Silvanio.
Sean Higgins of New Jersey faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted on all counts
A graphic displays the crash that killed Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau last Thursday night
Higgins has admitted that his ‘impatience’ led to the deaths, according to Silvanio.
He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted on all counts.
Silvanio has requested that Higgins remain in custody because he has been deemed a flight risk due to the lengthy sentence he faces.
The brothers were expected to be groomsmen for their sister Katie when she and partner Devin Joyce. The ceremony has been postponed until further notice.
Johnny leaves behind his wife Meredith, whom he married in September 2021, and two young children; one-year-old daughter Noa and baby boy Johnny – born just six months ago.
Meredith has since revealed during the brothers’ funeral that she is pregnant with Johnny’s third child.
Matthew, meanwhile, leaves behind his wife, Madeline, just over three years after their wedding in New Jersey. Madeline is expected to give birth to their son, Tripp, in late December.
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