Drunk and Deadly: Driver’s High Blood Alcohol Level Revealed in Fatal Crash That Claimed Lives of Godrow Brothers
Driver Charged with Killing NHL Hockey Player Johnny Gaudreau and Brother
Prosecutors said Friday that Shaun M. Higgins, 43, of Woodstown, New Jersey, had a blood-alcohol level of 0.087, over New Jersey’s legal limit of 0.08, while riding his Jeep on a rural road where he struck and killed NHL hockey player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew.
The brothers went on a bike ride in Carneys Point, New Jersey, on August 29, the day before their sister Katie’s wedding. Both were groomsmen.
Shaun M. Higgins, 43, of Woodstown, New Jersey, is charged with two counts of vehicular homicide in connection with the deaths of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau.
Salem County Jail
Higgins was charged with two counts of death by motor vehicle, reckless driving, possession of an open container, and being intoxicated in a motor vehicle.
Information about his blood-alcohol level came out at a hearing Friday, where Judge Michael Silvanio said he had “substantial concerns” about Higgins being released from custody while his case was pending and ordered him to remain in prison.
Higgins faces up to 20 years in prison, a sentence the judge said would make him a flight risk. Silviano denied Higgins bail, citing these concerns and “public health, safety, and welfare.”
Higgins reportedly said he shed tears as he cried intermittently after the verdict and during the trial. He is scheduled to appear in court again in October.
Shaun M. Higgins (above), the drunk driver accused of killing NHL hockey player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew while riding their bicycles on a country road, appears before Judge Michael Silvanio during a prison video hearing Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in Woodbury, New Jersey.
Derek Hamilton / Associated Press
According to the criminal complaint, Higgins told police he had consumed five or six beers that day and admitted to being drunk while driving. He also failed a field sobriety test, the complaint states.
Prosecutors said Higgins had been drinking at home after finishing a work call around 3 p.m. and had an unpleasant conversation with his mother about family issues. He then spent two hours on the phone with a friend while driving around in his Jeep with an open can.
At Friday’s hearing, prosecutors argued that Higgins had a history of aggressive driving and road rage, and pointed to conversations the driver and his wife had shortly after he was booked into jail.
“He said he didn’t even see them,” Silvanio said, adding that Higgins’ admitted “lack of patience” led to the two deaths.
Higgins’ attorneys painted a different picture, describing their client as a loving father, husband, and otherwise law-abiding citizen.
“He’s an empathetic man and a loving father of two daughters,” said attorney Matthew Portella. “He’s a good man and he made a terrible decision that night.”
Fans attend a memorial service to remember former Calgary Flames player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew in Calgary, Alberta, on Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024.
Jeff McIntosh / The Canadian Press
Johnny Gaudreau was a fourth-round draft pick by the Calgary Flames in 2011 and made his NHL debut in 2014, shortly after playing his final college game. He was named to the league’s All-Rookie Team during his first professional season.
He has consistently been one of the best players in the sport, and in 2021-22, he set career highs with 40 goals, 75 assists, and 115 points.
Matthew Gaudreau, who played hockey alongside his famous older brother at Boston College, is set to become a first-time father with wife Madeleine in December.
At the brothers’ funeral earlier this week, Johnny’s wife Meredith said she was pregnant with their third child.
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— With files from Caley Gibson of Global News and The Associated Press