Driver Charged in Gaudreau Deaths Exceeded Legal Blood Alcohol Limit and Had History of Road Rage, Prosecutor Claims

Mar. 15, 2025

From Left: Brothers Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Gaudreau; and Sean Higgins.Photo:Richard T Gagnon/Getty; Salem County Sheriff’s Department

Richard T Gagnon/Getty; Salem County Sheriff’s Department

New information about the driver charged with killing brothersJohnny and Matthew Gaudreauhas emerged during a virtual court hearing on Friday, Sept. 13.

Sean M. Higgins, who fatally struck the 31-year-old hockey player and his 29-year-old brother on the night before their sister’s wedding on Aug. 29, was allegedly driving with a blood-alcohol level of .087 when the brothers were hit on their bicycles, the Salem County, N.J., prosecutor said during the hearing, according to theAssociated Press.

The prosecutor also claimed that the father of two had been drinking in his home, where he worked remotely, after an “upsetting” conversation with his mother.

Per state law, the legal limit in N.J. is .08%.

During the hearing, a judge said the 43-year-old Woodstown, N.J., native will remain in custody for the duration of the trial after prosecutors discovered his alleged history of road rage and “aggressive driving,” the AP and thePhiladelphia Inquirerreported.

Salem County’s first assistant prosecutor Jonathan Flynn said that just after Higgins' arrest, his wife scolded him for his reckless driving when he called her from jail. Per the AP, Higgins' wife reportedly told her husband, “You were probably driving like a nut like I always tell you you do. And you don’t listen to me, instead you just yell at me.”

However, Higgins' lawyer, Matthew Portella, came to his defense and described his client as an “empathetic individual” and a “loving father of two daughters,” according to the AP.

Portella also said Higgins — who, per the outlet, formerly served in combat in Iraq and has been working in the finance department of an addiction treatment company — is “a good person and he made a horrible decision that night.”

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PEOPLE has reached out to the Salem County prosecutor’s office for comment about the charges and hearing.

From Left: Madeline and Matthew Gaudreau; and Johnny and Meredith Gaudreau.Matthew Gaudreau/Instagram, Meredith Gaudreau/Instagram

Matthew Gaudreau/Instagram, Meredith Gaudreau/Instagram

Johnny and Matthew’s deaths have since rocked the hockey world. Beyond the beloved brothers' tragic deaths on the eve of their sister’s wedding, both Johnny and Matthew’s wives have since announced that they are pregnant.

Johnny’s wife, Meredith Gaudreau, revealed during a memorial service for the brothers that she is expecting another child with her late husband next year.

Matthew’s widow, Madeline Gaudreau, is also pregnant with their first child, named Tripp. AGoFundMe fundraiserwas launched in support of Madeline and Tripp earlier this month, raising nearly $650,000 within the first days.

source: people.com