Drunk driving or cold-blooded crime? Judge announces trial will continue in Gaudreau brothers' deadly crash case

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

• Superior Court Judge Michael Silvanio orders the trial to proceed against Sean Higgins , charged with the drunk-driving death of Johnny Gaudreau , a 7-time NHL All-Star and father of three, and Matthew Gaudreau , a former college hockey player and coach.
  
• The accident happened on August 29, 2024, hours before the brothers were to be groomsmen at their sister's wedding.
  
• The trial is set to start later this year, with national attention probable given Gaudreau 's NHL celebrity and the tragic family tragedy.
  

In a courthouse ruling that's rocked the world of hockey as well as a close-knit community in New Jersey , a judge has ordered that the criminal case against Sean M. Higgins—the accused drunk driver who allegedly killed NHL sensation Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew Gaudreau—proceed, denying a motion to dismiss.

Judge Michael Silvanio Denies Motion to Dismiss in Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau death case


Tuesday, Superior Court Judge Michael Silvanio denied Sean Higgins' motion to dismiss the criminal indictment. The defense had tried to argue that the blood-alcohol levels of the Gaudreau brothers were pertinent and had to be used in the case, suggesting contributory negligence.

But Judge Silvanio made it crystal clear in his ruling. "There’s no credence in the argument that there was contributory negligence on the part of the cyclists,” Judge Silvanio said, according to the AP.

The judge's ruling paves the way for the trial to go forward and for prosecutors to contend that Higgins, who drank ‘five or six Miller Lites’ before taking the wheel, is entirely at fault.

A night that changed everything

The Gaudreau brothers were riding bicycles along their childhood neighborhood in Woodstown, New Jersey, on August 29, 2024 — just a few hours before they were to stand in as groomsmen at their sister Katie's wedding. Both were instantly killed when Higgins' car reportedly swerved around another car and hit them while they rode single-file along the fog line, witnesses said.

Johnny, also affectionately known to fans as ‘Johnny Hockey’, was a well-loved seven-time NHL All-Star. Matthew, a former college hockey player turned high school coach, was well-respected in local sports culture. Both men were fathers— and both of their wives were pregnant when the accident happened.

Since the disaster, the Gaudreau family has suffered incomprehensible sorrow—and some bittersweet moments of happiness. Johnny's wife, Meredith, delivered their third child, Carter, last week. Matthew's wife, Madeline, gave birth to their son, Tripp Matthew— naming him in honor of his deceased father.

Higgins, 44, registered a .087 blood-alcohol level, barely above the legal limit. He was taken into custody at the scene and initially charged with:

• 2 counts of death by auto
  
• Reckless driving
  
• Open container violation
  
• Consuming alcohol in a motor vehicle
  

A grand jury subsequently upgraded the charges to include:

• 2 counts of aggravated manslaughter
  
• 2nd-degree leave the scene of a fatal accident
  
• Tampering with physical evidence
  

Higgins, a married father of two, entered a plea of not guilty and turned down a plea agreement. Prosecutors contend he illegally passed another car on the right at high speed and hit the Gaudreau brothers. Four independent eyewitnesses corroborate this account.

Also read: Meredith Gaudreau expresses heartfelt tribute on social media as Columbus Blue Jackets close season

The criminal trial will now proceed, and it's going to draw national attention— not just because of Johnny Gaudreau's NHL stardom but because of the magnitude of tragedy involved in this case.