Nearly a year after crash that killed Johnny Gaudreau, where does driver's case stand?

Nearly a year after the New Jersey crash in which  Columbus Blue Jackets forward Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, were killed , the case against the driver accused of driving drunk remains ongoing.

Sean Higgins, 44, is charged with aggravated vehicular homicide, involuntary manslaughter and several other charges  in the Aug. 29 crash . 

Matthew, 29, and Johnny, 31 , both died at the scene of the crash. The brothers had been in the area for their sister's wedding. 

A New Jersey State Police report says the Gaudreaus were bicycling to visit a family friend in the area at the time they were struck. 

What happened in the crash that killed Johnny Gaudreau?

Around 8:20 p.m. that night, Higgins passed two vehicles while driving his Jeep Grand Cherokee on a road in Oldmans Township, New Jersey. The vehicles had slowed down after seeing the Gaudreau brothers, who were bicycling one in front of the other, on the road's shoulder. 

Court records and a New Jersey State Police report say witnesses reported Higgins passed the first vehicle on the left. As the second vehicle moved to the left to give the brothers additional room to operate the bicycles, records say Higgins drove around that vehicle on the right and hit the brothers. 

Witnesses told troopers Higgins had been driving aggressively, speeding up and then falling back several times before making his first pass. 

After the crash, troopers found Higgins about a quarter-mile away from the crash site, Assistant Salem County Prosecutor Michael Mestern has said. A blood test conducted after the crash found Higgins' blood-alcohol level to be 0.087, court records say. 

The police report says Higgins admitted to drinking beer before and while driving, and troopers described Higgins as being "extremely anxious," including taking "several audible deep breaths" and pacing. 

Court records say Higgins later admitted to throwing beer cans into a field near where his Jeep had stopped, which troopers later discovered. 

What new information have we learned? 

In a less redacted version of the initial crash report filed in Higgins' case,  new information about the crash  has been revealed. 

The report says witness statements and damage to Higgins' Jeep and the Gaudreaus' bikes were consistent with Higgins striking Matthew first, who then struck Johnny, who was riding in front. The damage to the Jeep was contained to the passenger side and was documented on areas of the vehicle from the windshield to the bumper cover, according to the report.

The report noted that troopers did not see any visible damage to either the driver's side or the back of the Jeep. 

The report also says the Jeep did not record data like many newer model vehicles can for a collision. According to the report, the Jeep did not register a change in velocity of 5 mph or more within 150 milliseconds or an airbag deployment. The New Jersey State Police says in the report that crashes between vehicles and cyclists or pedestrians often do not register because of the differences in mass and velocity between the colliding objects.

Troopers conducted several tests of Higgins' Jeep to determine how the vehicle would coast to a stop if there were a loss of electrical connection with the headlights in a crash. 

The report says troopers concluded that the Jeep "stalled out at impact or shortly thereafter, resulting in it losing power" and coasting. 

"The Higgins Jeep coasted for approximately 1,500 feet north of the crash location until Driver Higgins eventually brought it to a stop after not being able to restore power," the report says. 

When is Sean Higgins' next court date? 

Higgins is scheduled to appear for a testimonial hearing on Aug. 21, as well as another hearing on Sept. 18. Both hearings are expected to center on testimony from New Jersey State Police troopers about how the initial investigation was conducted. 

Attorneys for  Higgins have filed motions asking for statements made by Higgins  while in police custody to be suppressed, or excluded from any potential trial, as well as data collected from several of the automated modules within the Jeep. 

Salem County Superior Court Judge Michael Silvanio previously denied a motion by Higgins' attorneys to have the case dismissed. Silvanio also denied motions filed to force prosecutors to provide information about plea negotiations in other cases.

In January, Higgins  rejected a plea deal  that would have resulted in a 35-year prison sentence. 

How are Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau's families doing? 

In December,  Matthew's wife, Madeline, gave birth to the couple's son , a boy named Tripp Matthew. 

Meredith Gaudreau, Johnny's wife, already shared two children with him: Noa, now 2, and Johnny Jr., now 1. In April, she gave birth to the couple's third child,  a boy named Carter,  who had the same birth weight as his late father.

Madeline and Meredith have also  created the John and Matthew Gaudreau Foundation , a charitable organization to "continue giving back to what the boys are passionate about and to ultimately continue to make a positive impact on the world in their honor."

A  5K race held in May also raised $500,000  for an adaptive playground at a school in New Jersey, the Gaudreau family has ties to. 

The brothers' younger sister, Katie Gaudreau, who was scheduled to be married the day after the crash, married Devin Joyce in July. The  couple included several nods to Johnny and Matthew  throughout their ceremony and reception in their honor. 

Meredith Gaudreau also  announced the Blue Jackets' first-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft , thanking the NHL community and fan bases for their support following her husband's death.

Reporter Bethany Bruner can be reached at bbruner@gannett.com or on Bluesky at @bethanybruner.dispatch.com.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: See update in case against driver accused of killing Johnny Gaudreau