What to Know
- Sean Higgins will remain jailed in Salem County, New Jersey, for at least another week as he awaits a pretrial hearing in the drunken driving deaths of NHL star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew.
- The judge postponed a hearing in the case until Sept. 13 to give both sides more time to prepare.
- The funeral for the Gaudreau brothers will take place Monday at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church in Media, Pennsylvania. Their obituaries noted it would be streamed on the Columbus Blue Jackets’ website, given the number of people expected to attend.
The man accused of being drunk when his car struck and killed NHL star Johnny Gaudreau and brother Matthew as they biked near their South Jersey hometown the night before their sister's wedding will remain jailed for at least another week.
The decision to extend Sean Higgins' detention in Salem County Jail until at least Friday, Sept. 13, was made during a Thursday, Sept. 5, Zoom pretrial hearing in front of Superior Court judge Michael Silvanio.
The judge said during the brief morning hearing that both the defense and prosecution met with each other and agreed to ask for three extra days each so they could file documents, exhibits and potential legal briefs. Since the court only works in business days, the six extra days extended the hearing to next Friday.
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Higgins could be seen on screen sitting in a small booth at the jail wearing an orange shirt. The South Jersey resident didn't speak during the hearing, outside of acknowledging the judge as Silvanio thanked everyone for being part of the hearing and excused them.
Higgins has yet to be offered any bail in the case.
“This is a tragedy involving a great deal of emotion and impacting many individuals. It is too early in the stages of the legal process to make any out of court statements," Higgins' lawyers said in a statement.
Higgins had previous driving violations
NBC10 obtained the New Jersey driver history for Higgins. Our investigators found that Higgins had previously been stopped by police for unsafe driving and other violations.
Through an open records request to New Jersey's Motor Vehicle Commission, we were able to see that Higgins was involved in two car crashes: One in 2016 and the other in 2021.
He was also cited between 2003 and 2014 for improper operation in a highway with marked lines, improper display of plates, speeding and unsafe operation of a motor vehicle.
The state of New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission had Higgins listed "in good standing" at the time of last week's fatal crash.
We also found two violations in North Carolina that included driving while intoxicated in 2005 and a speeding ticket in 2021. Both were dismissed.
According to court records, the DWI was dismissed because the officer did not show up for the court date.
Details on the deadly crash that rocked the Gaudreau family, hockey community
The Gaudreau brothers grew up in the Philadelphia suburb of Carneys Point, New Jersey, where they spent their childhoods on the ice. They played at Gloucester Catholic High School, with Team Comcast and with the Philadelphia Little Flyers. Johnny went on to an All-Star career in the NHL and was a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Johnny, 31, and brother, Matt, 29, were set to serve as groomsmen at their sister Katie’s wedding that was scheduled for Friday, Aug. 30, in nearby Philadelphia, according to family.
The Gaudreau brothers were cycling on a road in Oldmans Township on Thursday, Aug. 29, when a man driving an SUV in the same direction attempted to pass two other vehicles and struck them from behind at about 8 p.m., according to New Jersey State Police. They were pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said the driver, 43-year-old Higgins, was suspected of being under the influence of alcohol and charged with two counts of death by auto, along with reckless driving, possession of an open container and consuming alcohol in a motor vehicle.
Higgins told a responding officer he had five or six beers prior to the crash and admitted to consuming alcohol while driving, according to the criminal complaint obtained by The Associated Press. He failed a field sobriety test, the complaint said, though his blood-alcohol level was not immediately available.
The funeral for the Gaudreau brothers will take place Monday at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church in Media, Pennsylvania. Their obituaries noted it would be streamed on the Columbus Blue Jackets’ website, given the number of people expected to attend.
Higgins worked at an alcohol treatment center
Higgins was an employee at Gaudenzia, a nonprofit drug and alcohol treatment center, at the time of the crash. He was at first placed on leave by the organization before being fired on Wednesday.
"Our thoughts and condolences remain with all those impacted by the tragedy that resulted in the loss of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau," a statement from the Norristown-based company said. "Sean Higgins is no longer an employee of Gaudenzia."
