The driver charged in the deaths of hockey star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew pleaded not guilty Tuesday, Jan. 8, in a New Jersey courtroom after turning down a plea deal of 35 years in prison. Sean M. Higgins, 44, appeared briefly to enter the plea.
Higgins is being held on charges, including two counts each of aggravated manslaughter and vehicular homicide. Other charges include evidence tampering as well as leaving the scene of an accident that took place on Aug. 29, 2024.
The day before their sister’s wedding, the Gaudreau brothers were out for an early morning bike ride when Higgins allegedly struck them while trying to pass another vehicle. A driver in front of Higgins told police he had been driving aggressively.
When she and another driver slowed down and moved left to go around the cyclists, Higgins sped up and veered right, striking the Gaudreaus, she said.
Prosecutors say Higgins, a married father of two, has a history of road rage and was impaired on the day of the crash. Police say he had a blood alcohol level of .087 and also failed a field sobriety test.
31-year-old Johnny Gaudreau, known as “Johnny Hockey,” played 10 full seasons in the National Hockey League. His most recent stint was in Columbus, where he was about to start his third season. The Blue Jackets retired Gaudreau’s number, 13, during the season’s opening week. Every other team in the league also paid tribute to the New Jersey native and his brother when the season began.
Defense lawyers, in a statement, said they hope to prove that the deaths stemmed not from any “malfeasance” but from “a combination of uniquely unfortunate circumstances unlikely to ever occur again.” The case will now proceed to a trial.
