COLUMBUS, Ohio — The family of Columbus Blue Jackets hockey player Johnny Gaudreau released a statement following the death of Johnny and his brother, Matthew.
Johnny, 31, and Matthew, 29, were in New Jersey on Thursday and set to be groomsmen at their sister Katie's wedding that was scheduled for Friday in Philadelphia.
New Jersey State Police said the Gaudreau brothers were cycling on a road when a man driving an SUV in the same direction attempted to pass two other vehicles and struck the men from behind. They were pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver of the SUV was identified by authorities as 43-year-old Sean Higgins. He was suspected of being under the influence of alcohol and charged with two counts of death by auto, along with reckless driving, possession of an open container and consuming alcohol in a motor vehicle. He was jailed at the Salem County Correctional Facility.
According to the criminal complaint obtained by The Associated Press, Higgins told a responding officer he had five or six beers prior to the crash and admitted to consuming alcohol while driving. He failed a field sobriety test, the complaint said, though his blood-alcohol level was not immediately available.
Johnny and Matthew's uncle, Jim Gaudreau, released a statement on behalf of the family to CBS News:
"Last night we lost two husbands, two fathers, two sons, two brothers, two sons and brothers in law, two nephews, two cousins, two family members, two teammates, two friends but truly two amazing humans.
We want to let everyone know we are receiving your messages of love and support and we appreciate your continued thoughts and prayers. We ask for your continued respect and privacy during this very difficult period of grief.
From all our families and the bottom of our hearts (the Gaudreau, Morris, Korbitz, Venello and Joyce Families)."
Johnny Gaudreau, known as “Johnny Hockey,” 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’s top players and a fan favorite across North America.
The Blue Jackets said Gaudreau “was not only a great hockey player, but more significantly a loving husband, father, son, brother and friend.”
“Johnny played the game with great joy which was felt by everyone that saw him on the ice," the team said in a statement. “He brought a genuine love for hockey with him everywhere he played.”