New details revealed during court hearing for suspect in death of NHL hockey player, brother
Sean Higgins' wife said he had been drinking regularly and had a history of 'driving like a nut,' prosecutors said.
WOODBURY, N.J. -- The driver charged with killing NHL hockey player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, as they bicycled on a rural road had a blood-alcohol level of .087, above the .08 legal limit in New Jersey, a prosecutor said Friday.
Gaudreau, 31, and brother Matthew, 29, were killed in Oldmans Township., New Jersey, on Aug. 29, the evening before they were set 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 death by auto, along with reckless driving, possession of an open container and consuming alcohol in a motor vehicle. At a virtual court hearing Friday, a judge ordered that he be held for trial after prosecutors described a history of alleged road rage and aggressive driving.
"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," his wife told Higgins when he called her from jail after his arrest, according to First Assistant Prosecutor Jonathan Flynn of Salem County.
The defense described Higgins as a married father and law-abiding citizen before the 8:19 p.m. crash.
"He's an empathetic individual, and he's a loving father of two daughters," defense lawyer Matthew Portella said. "He's a good person, and he made a horrible decision that night."
RELATED: Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau remembered as loving brothers, husbands who put family above hockey
Higgins told police he had five or six beers that day, and admitted to consuming alcohol while driving, according to the criminal complaint. He also failed a field sobriety test, the complaint said. A prosecutor on Friday said he had been drinking at home after finishing a work call at about 3 p.m., and having an upsetting conversation with his mother about a family matter.
He then had a two-hour phone call with a friend while he drove around in his Jeep with an open container, Flynn said. He had been driving aggressively behind a sedan going just above the 50 mph speed limit, sometimes tailgating, the driver told police.
When she and the vehicle ahead of her slowed down and moved left to go around the cyclists, Higgins sped up and veered right, striking the Gaudreaus, the two other drivers told police.
"He indicated he didn't even see them," said Superior Court Judge Michael J. Silvanio, who said Higgins admitted "impatience" caused two deaths.
Higgins faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted, a sentence that the judge said made him a flight risk.
Higgins has a master's degree, works in finance for an addiction treatment company and served in combat in Iraq, his lawyers said. However, his wife said he had been drinking regularly since working from home, Flynn said.
Johnny Gaudreau, known as "Johnny Hockey," played 10 full seasons in the league, and was set to enter his third with the Columbus Blue Jackets after signing a seven-year, $68 million deal in 2022. He played his first eight seasons with the Calgary Flames, a tenure that included becoming one of the sport's top players and a fan favorite across North America.
Widows Meredith and Madeline Gaudreau described their husbands as attached at the hip throughout their lives. Both women are pregnant, and both gave moving eulogies at a heart-wrenching double funeral on Monday.
"I urge everyone to never drink and drive," Madeline Gaudreau said. "Call a ride. Please do not put another family through this torture. The loss of Matty and John will leave a hole in the family, with his close friends, the community for eternity."
On Friday night, there was an emotional tribute for both brothers at the Hollydell Ice Arena in Sewell, New Jersey. It's where they grew up playing the sport.
"Thank you not only for being here but for your love and support for the past 15 days," sister Katie Gaudreau said. "This rink has been a home to our family for many years, and many of our fondest memories were made surrounding by my brothers and Hollydell family."
Defense lawyers, in seeking bail, suggested that Higgins could be limited to driving only with a locking device to prevent him from drinking and driving. And they noted that he tested just over the legal limit, adding that a recent knee surgery likely impacted the field test.
But Flynn argued that the locking device would not stop what he called "the fundamental issue" of Higgins's "angry and aggressive driving," exacerbated that day by alcohol.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
