NHL star Johnny Gaudreau, 31, and brother Matthew, 29, killed by drunk driver the night before sister’s wedding
NHL star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew Gaudreau, were killed by a suspected drunk driver Thursday night. They were 31 and 29, respectively.
The Gaudreaus had been riding bikes along the side of a road in their native Salem County, NJ, when a man driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee attempted to pass two slow-moving vehicles and instead struck the siblings from behind around 8:19 p.m., state police told the Columbus Dispatch Friday.
The driver, Sean M. Higgins, was jailed and charged with two counts of vehicular homicide, according to inmate records seen by Page Six.
Police detected a “strong odor” of alcohol on Higgins’ breath at the scene, per an affidavit obtained by NBC News, which reported that the 43-year-old admitted to having consumed five or six beers before the crash.
Johnny and Matthew, both of whom were pronounced dead at the scene, had been set to attend their sister Katie Gaudreau’s wedding Friday.
The brothers were supposed to be groomsmen during the church ceremony in Gloucester City, NJ, according to the bride-to-be’s page on the Knot.
The afternoon nuptials and evening reception in Philadelphia have since been canceled.
Johnny’s “shocked and devastated” team, the Columbus Blue Jackets, issued a statement Friday morning addressing the “unimaginable tragedy.”
“Johnny played the game with great joy, which was felt by everyone that saw him on the ice. He brought a genuine love for hockey with him everywhere he played, from Boston College to the Calgary Flames to Team USA to the Blue Jackets,” the Ohio-based organization said in part.
“He thrilled fans in a way only Johnny Hockey could. The impact he had on our organization and our sport was profound but pales in comparison to the indelible impression he made on everyone who knew him. … We will miss him terribly and do everything that we can to support his family and each other through this tragedy.”
The Blue Jackets also offered their condolences to Johnny’s wife of nearly three years, Meredith Gaudreau, and their two children, 1-year-old daughter Noa and 6-month-old son Johnny Jr.
Both Johnny and Matthew were hockey players at Boston College before the former, a left winger, went pro in 2014.
Johnny played nine seasons with the Calgary Flames and two with the Blue Jackets.
