A New Jersey driver suspected of being under the influence of alcohol when NHL standout Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew Gaudreau made their first court appearance on Friday, August 30.
In footage shared by ABC affiliate WSYX and covered by multiple media outlets including TMZ and Fox affiliate WTXF, Sean Higgins of Woodstown, New Jersey, appeared before a Salem District Court judge virtually while joined by an attorney from the local public defender’s office .
During his court appearance, Higgins, 43, was directed by Judge Michael J. Silvanio to proceed, informing him that his upcoming detention hearing will be held on Thursday, Sept. 5, due to the holiday weekend.
“So I’m here until Thursday,” Higgins asked at the end of the appearance, before Silvanio clarified that he had to hold him for at least 72 hours before the hearing. Silvanio also informed Higgins that he had been charged in two counts of second-degree vehicular homicide, both “punishable by a maximum of 10 years” in state prison.
Higgins also expressed his desire to retain his own attorney for future proceedings.
Driver accused of covering up crash that killed Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau Suspected to be under the influence of alcohol: Police
Photo by Sean Higgins of the Salem County Sheriff’s Department.
Salem County Sheriff’s Department
Johnny, 31, and Matthew, 29, were killed in a bicycle accident near their hometown on Thursday, Aug. 29, PEOPLE has confirmed. They were in the area to appear as best men at their sister’s wedding the next day.
In a statement about the incident, the New Jersey State Police said, “Through further investigation, Higgins was suspected of being under the influence of alcohol, charged with two counts of death by auto and booked into the Salem County Correctional Facility. This crash remains an active investigation and no additional information available.”
They added that Higgins was driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee behind the sedan and SUV. They said he then “attempted to pass the slower moving sedan and SUV, entered the southbound lanes, passed the slower sedan and attempted to reenter the northbound lanes when the SUV in front of Higgins moved into the middle of the roadway, separating the northbound and southbound lanes as would certainly pass a two-pedal cyclist traveling north on the right-hand side of the roadway.”
“Higgins then tried to overtake the SUV on the right side and hit two pedal cyclists from behind. As a result of the collision, the two pedal cyclists suffered fatal injuries,” the police statement continued.
NHL star Johnny Gaudreau (31) and his brother Matthew (29) died in a bicycle accident in New Jersey
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Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau pose for a photo at TD Garden on February 10, 2014.
Richard T Gagnon/Getty
Johnny is survived by his wife Meredith and their two children – daughter Noa, who turns 2 in October, and son Johnny, 7 months.
Matthew left behind his wife Madeline, three years younger, who is currently pregnant and expecting their first child.
The Columbus Blue Jackets, with whom Johnny signed a seven-year contract in 2022, called the deaths of Johnny and Matthew “an unimaginable tragedy” in a statement released on August 30.
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