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Driver in fatal Johnny Gaudreau crash appears in Salem County Court

Sakege November 13, 2024

Driver charged in August crash that killed South Jersey native and Columbus Blue Jackets forward Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew Gaudreau appeared in Salem County court Tuesday.

Johnny Gaudreau, 31, and Matthew Gaudreau, 29, He died on August 29 after being hit by a jeep. while riding a bicycle in Oldmans Township, Salem County. They were in town to attend their sister’s wedding, which was scheduled for the next day.

The driver, Sean Higgins, 43, appeared at a pre-arraignment conference in court Tuesday morning. The hearing allowed attorneys to discuss whether a case can be resolved, potentially through a plea deal, before a grand jury decides whether to issue an indictment.

Judge Michael Silvanio said prosecutors in Higgins’ case had requested an extension of time for a grand jury to review the case for possible indictment. Silvanio also said there had been no discussions about a plea offer.

The Gaudreau family was in court for Tuesday’s hearing, which lasted less than five minutes.

Higgins’ next court date has not been scheduled. If charged, an arraignment date would be scheduled at that time.

What happened in Johnny Gaudreau’s accident?

Higgins was driving a Jeep around 8 p.m. on a county road in Oldmans Township, near the Gaudreaus’ childhood home. The brothers were riding bicycles on the shoulder of the road. Higgins was driving the third of three vehicles behind the brothers.

Higgins is accused of two counts of aggravated vehicular manslaughter as well as several traffic violations.

Salem County Deputy Prosecutor Jonathan Flynn and New Jersey State Police said Higgins had been accelerating to follow the vehicle directly in front of him. before backing up and slowing down, only to approach again at high speed. Higgins then passed that vehicle on the left.

Flynn said the van directly behind the Gaudreau brothers had moved to the left to give the brothers room when Higgins interpreted that as an attempt to block him. Higgins then accelerated around that SUV to the right, striking the Gaudreaus.

Higgins told New Jersey police that he did not see the brothers on their bikes before the crash, Flynn said. Both brothers died at the scene from their injuries.

Flynn said Higgins had made statements in recorded phone calls from a New Jersey jail where he admitted facts about the crash and expressed remorse.

Higgins told police at the scene that he had consumed “five to six” beers before and while driving. During a court appearance in SeptemberFlynn said Higgins’ blood alcohol level was recorded at 0.087%, above the legal limit of 0.08%.

Flynn said the two drivers Higgins tried to pass told police they were driving about 55 mph, above the 50 mph posted speed limit on the road. The speed at which Higgins was traveling has not been revealed, but is believed to be faster than 55 mph.

Where is the effort to get records in the Johnny Gaudreau case?

New Jersey authorities have not released 911 calls from the crash scene or an initial report of the crash.

He the properties of the Gaudreau brothers had presented a request to prevent those records from being disclosed to the media that had requested them. Making this type of request is common practice when reporting cases such as that of the Gaudreau brothers.

A New Jersey judge ruled the records could be released; However, state police and the Salem County prosecutor’s office have indicated that the records are not likely to be released. New Jersey law allows considerations to be made to protect the privacy of victims.

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