The Gaudreau brothers, Johnny and Matthew, were tragically killed in a road crash in New Jersey on August 29, 2024, while they were out riding their bicycles near their hometown on the eve of their sister Katie’s wedding.

What actually happened

  • Johnny and Matthew were cycling on a rural road in Salem County, New Jersey, when they were struck by a vehicle (described as an SUV/car in reports).
  • Both brothers died from the collision, which shocked the hockey world and their local community.
  • The crash happened the night before they were to attend their sister’s wedding.

Johnny Gaudreau (known as “Johnny Hockey”) was 31, a star NHL forward who had played for the Calgary Flames and the Columbus Blue Jackets, and was preparing for his third season in Columbus. Matthew had played at Boston College and was working as a high school coach.

The legal case against the driver

  • The driver, Sean Higgins of Woodstown, New Jersey, has been charged with multiple serious offenses, including:
    • Reckless vehicular homicide
    • Aggravated manslaughter
    • Evidence tampering
    • Leaving the scene of a fatal accident (or death by auto–type counts)
  • Prosecutors allege he was drunk and driving recklessly when he hit the brothers.
  • Judges have ruled that key evidence and Higgins’s statements to police are admissible at trial, rejecting defense attempts to throw them out or suppress them based on Miranda arguments and other challenges.
  • Defense lawyers have sought to pause the trial and appeal those rulings, arguing his rights were violated and even pointing to a recent knee surgery affecting field sobriety tests, but so far the core charges and evidence have been upheld.
  • If convicted on all counts, Higgins reportedly faces a potential sentence of up to about 70 years in prison; a plea offer of 35 years was rejected.

As of late 2025, the case was still moving through the New Jersey courts, with hearings delayed and no final verdict publicly reported yet.

How the family and hockey world responded

  • The Gaudreau family and their community launched efforts to honor the brothers, including fundraising for an adaptive playground at Archbishop Damiano School in New Jersey, where their mother Jane worked and the brothers had volunteered.
  • Around the NHL and broader hockey community, tributes included memorial nights, retired numbers, and charity events like a memorial 5K.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets issued a public statement calling Johnny not only a great player but a loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend, and extended sympathies to his wife Meredith, their children, and the family.

At the 2026 Winter Olympics, Team USA paid a prominent tribute to the Gaudreau brothers: a blue No. 13 Gaudreau jersey hangs in the U.S. locker room, and the team and coaches have spoken about playing in their memory, with Johnny’s parents, widow Meredith, and children attending games.

Current public picture (as of early 2026)

  • The criminal case against Sean Higgins is ongoing, with pretrial and evidentiary disputes still being sorted out and no final resolution announced yet.
  • The Gaudreau brothers continue to be remembered through:
    • Ongoing legal proceedings that keep the case in the news.
* Community and charity projects in their name.

* High-profile tributes in pro hockey and international events like the 2026 Olympics.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.