Driver accused of killing Gaudreau brothers had blood alcohol level above legal limit

The driver accused of killing NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew as they rode bicycles on a country road had a blood-alcohol level of 0.087, higher than the legal limit of 0.08 in New Jersey, a prosecutor said Friday.

Gaudreau, 31, and his brother Matthew, 29, were murdered in Carneys Point, New Jersey, on August 29, the night before they were to serve as groomsmen at their sister Katie’s wedding.

The driver, 43-year-old Sean M. Higgins of nearby Woodstown, New Jersey, is charged with two counts of manslaughter, reckless driving, possession of an open container and alcohol in a motor vehicle.

During a virtual court hearing on Friday, a judge ordered him held in custody for the trial after prosecutors said he had a history of aggressive driving and driving.

“‘You were probably driving like a maniac, like I always tell you. And you’re not listening to me, you’re just yelling at me instead,'” his wife told Higgins when he called her from jail after his arrest, according to Salem County First Assistant Prosecutor Jonathan Flynn.

The defense described Higgins as a married father and a law-abiding citizen before the crash.

“He’s an empathetic person and a loving father of two daughters,” defense attorney Matthew Portella said. “He’s a good person and he made a terrible decision that night.”

WATCH | NHL Mourns Death of Johnny Gaudreau:

NHL reels after forward Johnny Gaudreau, brother die while biking in New Jersey

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau, a 31-year-old forward for the Columbus Blue Jackets, and his younger brother Matthew were killed Thursday night when they were struck by a car while riding bicycles in their home state of New Jersey.

Higgins told police he had drunk five or six beers that day and admitted to drinking alcohol while driving, the complaint said. He also failed a field test, the complaint said.

Aggressive driving

A prosecutor said Friday that he had been drinking at home after finishing a work phone call around 3 p.m. and had an unpleasant conversation with his mother about a family matter.

He then had a two-hour phone conversation with a friend while driving around in his Jeep with an open container, Flynn said. He had been aggressively following a sedan, driving just over 50 mph, sometimes too close to the one in front of him, the female driver told police.

As she and the vehicle in front of her slowed and veered left to avoid the cyclists, Higgins accelerated and steered right, striking the Gaudreas, the two other drivers told police.

“He indicated he didn’t even see them,” said Circuit Court Judge Michael J. Silvanio, who said Higgins’ “impatience” caused two deaths.

Higgins could face up to 20 years in prison. The judge said he was a flight risk.

Higgins has a master’s degree, works in finance for a company that provides addiction treatment and has fought in Iraq, his lawyers said, but his wife said he had been drinking regularly since he started working from home, Flynn said.

Johnny Gaudreau, better known as “Johnny Hockey,” played 10 full seasons in the league and was set to enter his third season with the Columbus Blue Jackets after signing a seven-year, $68 million contract in the U.S. in 2022. He played his first eight seasons with the Calgary Flames, a period in which he emerged as one of the best players in the game and a fan favorite across North America.

Widows Meredith and Madeline Gaudreau described their husbands as devoted to each other their entire lives. Both women are pregnant, and both gave moving eulogies at Monday’s double funeral.