By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2025-01-03 14:48:09 | Updated at 2025-01-09 08:41:49
5 days ago
The sister of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau has called 2024 the 'worst' year of her life after their devastating deaths on the night before her wedding.
The Gaudreau brothers were killed on August 29 when police said they were struck by a suspected drunken driver while riding bicycles on a rural road.
The driver, Sean Higgins, has been charged with two counts of death by auto, along with reckless driving, possession of an open container and consuming alcohol in a motor vehicle.
Reflecting on a devastating end to the year, Katie posted an emotional statement on Instagram. She wrote: '2024 I hate you. You went from what should have been the best year of my life to the worst.
'You taught me that life is cruel and unfair. You made me feel so small and so lost but you didn’t get the best of me because I have come out stronger and wiser.
'2025 I am not sure how to feel about you yet because I don’t know how we leave 2024 like this.'
The sister of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau, Katie, has called 2024 the 'worst' year of her life
Katie wrote in the heartbreaking post that 2024 'taught me that life is cruel and unfair'
Last month, and four months to the day since the tragedy, Matthew's wife, Madeline, gave birth to a baby boy.
Tripp's middle name was revealed to be Matthew after his father, with Madeline captioning the post 'Mommy & Daddy’s world'.
New Jersey police recently released dramatic body-cam footage from the nervous moments after the crash.
Higgins faces up to two decades in prison over the tragedy and could be seen undergoing field sobriety tests after admitting to drinking earlier in the day.
'I've been drinking beers,' Higgins told police before admitting to 'five or six' Miller Lites.
Ultimately, he'd claim he hadn't 'had one in like two hours.'
Prosecutors have accused Higgins of being legally drunk when his vehicle collided with the Gaudreau brothers as they were cycling along a country road in the Philadelphia suburbs.
The father of two registered a blood-alcohol level of 0.087 – slightly above the New Jersey state limit of 0.08. Higgins faces up to 20 years in prison after being charged with two counts of second-degree death by auto.
New Jersey police released body-cam footage last month from moments after the crash
A confused Higgins is seen asking 'what happened?' after being handcuffed on August 29
The police video, provided to Philadelphia's ABC 6, includes footage of a handcuffed Higgins being read his Miranda rights before asking: 'Is everybody OK back there? What happened?'
Higgins is based in Woodstown, New Jersey, where he is believed to live with his wife and their two young daughters.
The father-of-two had served in the 44th Infantry Brigade Combat Team in Kosovo and was promoted to Major during a state leadership visit to the former Yugoslavian republic in 2019 when he credited his family for their support during his military career, DailyMail.com has learned.
He also served as the Regional Command-East Civil-Military Cooperation chief during the tour, though it is unclear if he is still currently enlisted in the US Army.
The army major is a field artillery officer assigned to the New Jersey Army National Guard, Joint Force Headquarters, and works part-time as a traditional Drill Status Guardsman.
A New Jersey judge extended prosecutors' window to seek an indictment last month as Higgins remains in jail.
His attorney Matthew Portella referred to Higgins as 'a loving father of two daughters,' who 'made a horrible decision that night,' as quoted by ABC 6.
Major Sean Higgins has been charged with two counts of death by auto after fatally mowing down NHL star Johnny Gaudreau and his younger brother Matthew in New Jersey
Higgins is accused of being intoxicated when he collided with Gaudreau and his brother
New Jersey state troopers have described the accident as occurring after Higgins attempted to pass two slower vehicles on Country Route 551 in Oldmans Township in Salem County.
Although he remained cooperative with police, Higgins appeared nervous in the video, admitting at several points that he was 'freaked out.'
He also cautioned officers about a recent knee surgery that could potentially impact his field sobriety tests.
'Is it affecting you right now?' one officer was heard asking.
'I'm (inaudible) around,' Higgins replied, apparently indicating he might be limping.
'At any point, if you're in pain, just let me know,' the officer said.
Higgins struggled with some of the instructions and could be heard asking officers to repeat themselves.
A frustrated officer ultimately told Higgins to 'turn around and place your hands behind your back' before handcuffing him.
Apparently confused, Higgins asked what happened, to which an officer told him they would talk about that at the station.
The brothers, who played together at Boston College, have since been honored in Calgary and Columbus, where Johnny played professionally.
