{"id":2340770,"date":"2024-09-13T14:16:59","date_gmt":"2024-09-13T18:16:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/more-details-on-man-charged-with-killing-nhl-hockey-player-he-made-a-horrible-decision\/"},"modified":"2024-09-13T14:18:37","modified_gmt":"2024-09-13T18:18:37","slug":"more-details-on-man-charged-with-killing-nhl-hockey-player-he-made-a-horrible-decision","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/more-details-on-man-charged-with-killing-nhl-hockey-player-he-made-a-horrible-decision\/","title":{"rendered":"More Details on Man Charged with Killing NHL Hockey Player: &#8216;He Made a Horrible Decision&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fmore-details-on-man-charged-with-killing-nhl-hockey-player-he-made-a-horrible-decision%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2340770&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The text discusses a tragic incident in which NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew were killed while riding \u200cbicycles\u200c on a rural road in New Jersey. The driver, Sean M. Higgins, was found \u2062to \u200chave a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bruce-springsteen-freed-of-drunk-driving-charges-slapped-with-500-fine\/\" title=\"Bruce Springsteen Freed Of Drunk Driving Charges, Slapped With 0 Fine\">blood-alcohol level<\/a> of 0.087, exceeding the legal limit. Higgins faces several charges, including two counts of death by auto and reckless\u200d driving, after admitting to having consumed alcohol during\u200c the day. He was driving aggressively when he struck the two cyclists, who were reportedly\u200d unrecognized by him at the moment of impact. Johnny Gaudreau, known as\u2062 &#8220;Johnny Hockey,&#8221; was a well-regarded player in the league, and both brothers were set to be groomsmen at\u2062 their sister&#8217;s upcoming wedding. The incident has left their families \u2062devastated, with \u2064both widows\u200b expecting children. Higgins, who has a \u2063master\u2019s degree and a professional career in finance, could\u200d face \u2064up to 20 years in prison.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> <script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/nhl-star-johnny-gaudreaus-death-gets-even-heartbreaking-wife-drops-big-announcement\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gaudreau<\/a>, 31, and brother Matthew, 29, were killed in Carneys Point, New Jersey, on Aug. 29, the evening before they were set to serve as groomsmen at their sister Katie&rsquo;s wedding.<\/p>\n<p>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 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/9-year-old-shot-in-head-in-alleged-road-rage-incident-in-democrat-run-houston\/\" title=\"9-Year-Old Shot in Head in Alleged Road Rage Incident in Democrat-Run Houston\">alleged road rage<\/a> and aggressive driving.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;&rsquo;You were probably driving like a nut like I always tell you you do. And you don&rsquo;t listen to me, instead you just yell at me,&rsquo;&rdquo; his wife told Higgins when he called her from jail after his arrest, according to First Assistant Prosecutor Jonathan Flynn of Salem County.<\/p>\n<p>The defense described Higgins as a married father and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-sheriffs-tell-newsom-they-wont-enforce-covid-curfew\/\" title=\"California Sheriffs Tell Newsom They Won&#039;t Enforce COVID Curfew\">law-abiding citizen<\/a> before <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/nhl-star-brother-killed-day-sisters-wedding-suspect-arrested\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the crash<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>  <script> \t\t\t\tif( ! getCookie( 'ff_subbed' ) ) if( typeof FFADS.replace_ict !='undefined' ) if( FFADS.replace_ict ) eval( FFADS.replace_ict ); \t\t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s an empathetic individual, and he&rsquo;s a loving father of two daughters,&rdquo; said defense lawyer Matthew Portella. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a good person, and he made a horrible decision that night.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Higgins told police he had five or six beers that day and admitted to consuming <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/covid-lockdowns-exploded-alcohol-deaths-nearly-1-3-bureaucrats-blood-hands\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">alcohol<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n<p>He then had a two<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/raffenspergers-team-leaks-president-trumps-saturday-call-to-fake-news-wapo-tells-you-everything-about-the-dirty-georgia-leadership\/\" title=\"Raffensperger\u2019s Team Leaks President Trump\u2019s Saturday Call to Fake News WaPo \u2014 Tells You Everything About the Dirty Georgia Leadership\">-hour phone call<\/a> 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 female driver told police.<\/p>\n<p>When she and the vehicle ahead of her slowed down and veered left to go around the cyclists, Higgins sped up and veered right, striking the Gaudreas, the two other drivers told police.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;He indicated he didn&rsquo;t even see them,&rdquo; said Superior Court Judge Michael J. Silvanio, who said Higgins&rsquo; admitted &ldquo;impatience&rdquo; caused two deaths.<\/p>\n<p>Higgins faces up to 20 years, a sentence that the judge said made him a flight risk.<\/p>\n<p>Higgins has a master&rsquo;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.<\/p>\n<p>Johnny Gaudreau, known as &ldquo;Johnny Hockey,&rdquo; 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&rsquo;s top players and a fan favorite across North America.<\/p>\n<p>Widows Meredith and Madeline Gaudreau described their husbands as attached at the hip throughout their lives. Both women are expecting, and both gave moving eulogies at the double funeral on Monday.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-style: italic;\">The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\">  <\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> <label>* Name<\/label> <br \/> <input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> <\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> <label>* <\/label> <br \/> <input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> <\/div>\n<p> <label>* Message<\/label> <br \/> <textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea>  <\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> <input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\">  <\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script>  <\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> <\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\">  <\/div>\n<style> \t\t\t \t\t\t.insticator-unit.type-commenting{margin: 0 10px 25px 10px}@media screen and (max-width:1060px){#div-insticator-ad-cmt-1, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-2, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-3, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-4{margin: 0 auto 25px auto !important;}}#div-insticator-ad-cmt-1, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-2, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-3, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-4{height: 280px !important; width: 336px !important} \t\t<\/style>\n<div class=\"insticator-unit type-commenting\">\n<div class=\"insticator-ads\">   <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\t\t\tif ( ! getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-1\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-2\"); \t\t\t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-1\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-2\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t<\/script> <\/div>\n<div class=\"insticator-ads additional\">   <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\t\t\tif ( ! getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-3\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-4\"); \t\t\t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-3\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-4\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t<\/script> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The driver accused of causing the deaths of NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew while they were cycling on a rural road had a blood-alcohol concentration of .087, exceeding New Jersey&#8217;s legal limit of .08, according to a prosecutor&#8217;s statement on Friday. The tragic incident occurred in Carneys Point, New Jersey, on August 29, just one day before the brothers were scheduled to be groomsmen at their sister Katie\u2019s wedding. The driver, Sean M. Higgins, 43, from nearby Woodstown, faces two counts of death by auto as well as charges for reckless driving and having an open container while consuming alcohol in his vehicle. During a virtual court hearing on Friday, prosecutors highlighted Higgins&#8217; alleged history of aggressive driving and road rage as they requested he be held for trial. His wife reportedly expressed concern about his reckless driving habits during a phone call from jail after his arrest. Defense attorney Matthew Portella described Higgins as a devoted family man who made a grave mistake that night. According to police reports and the criminal complaint, Higgins admitted to drinking five or six beers that day and acknowledged consuming alcohol while behind the wheel; he also failed field sobriety tests. Prosecutors revealed that he had been drinking at home after an upsetting conversation with his mother before taking a two-hour phone call with a friend while driving with an open container in hand. Witnesses reported that he was tailgating another vehicle before speeding up and veering into the cyclists when they attempted to avoid him by moving left around another car. Superior Court Judge Michael J. Silvanio noted that Higgins\u2019 impatience led to the tragic deaths of both brothers and indicated that he could face up to 20 years in prison\u2014a sentence which raises concerns about him being considered a flight risk due to his background including holding a master\u2019s degree and working in finance for an addiction treatment company after serving combat duty in Iraq; however, it was mentioned by prosecutors that he had been drinking regularly since transitioning to remote work during the pandemic.<\/p>\n<p>Johnny Gaudreau\u2014affectionately known as &#8220;Johnny Hockey&#8221;\u2014had played ten seasons in the NHL and was entering his third season with the Columbus Blue Jackets following signing a seven-year contract worth $68 million in 2022; prior to this stint he spent eight seasons with Calgary Flames where he became one of hockey&#8217;s standout players beloved by fans across North America. Both widows Meredith and Madeline Gaudreau shared heartfelt eulogies at their husbands&#8217; joint funeral service on Monday; both women are currently expecting children together<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2340771,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/10acb93ef0b049a3a5dc30c1d9dc6565-scaled.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[7204,7286,3976,33211,7596],"class_list":["post-2340770","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-crime","tag-hockey","tag-investigation","tag-legal-news","tag-nhl"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/10acb93ef0b049a3a5dc30c1d9dc6565-scaled.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2340770","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2340770"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2340770\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2340771"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2340770"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2340770"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2340770"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}