Gaudreau and his 29-year-old brother Matthew were cycling in Salem County, New Jersey when a vehicle collided with them, according to the New Jersey State Police, as reported by Sportsnet.
Police indicated that the vehicle was traveling in the same direction as the brothers, then attempted to overtake two other cars and hit the brothers from behind. The brothers were pronounced dead at the scene when officers arrived.
The Gaudreau siblings were reportedly in town for their sister’s wedding, which was planned for Friday evening in Philadelphia, according to People Magazine.
Gaudreau had recently celebrated his 31st birthday on August 13, according to NH.
A man named Sean M. Higgins was arrested and charged with two counts of death by auto, according to Sportsnet.
Authorities believe he was driving under the influence of alcohol. His mugshot was released by the police on Friday.
According to the criminal complaint obtained by the Associated Press, Higgins reportedly told an officer at the scene that he had drunk five or six beers before the accident and admitted to drinking while driving. The complaint also noted that Higgins failed a field sobriety test, as reported by AP.
Authorities indicated that Higgins was driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee.
The deadly crash happened at approximately 8:19 p.m. on Thursday, as the vehicle was heading north on County Road 551, according to The Columbus Dispatch. The Jeep attempted to overtake a “slow-moving sedan and SUV,” entering the southbound lanes in the process, as reported by the Dispatch.
The Jeep moved in front of the sedan and attempted to return to the northbound lanes. However, the SUV ahead shifted to the center of the road to safely navigate around the Gaudreau brothers, who were traveling north on the right side of the roadway.
While trying to overtake the SUV on the right, the Jeep collided with the Gaudreau brothers, according to the Dispatch.
In an open letter to Calgary, Gaudreau said he wanted to be remembered as a ‘good person.
In July 2022, Gaudreau wrote an open letter to Calgary in The Players’ Tribune, expressing his gratitude for his time with the team and its significance to him. He explained that his move was motivated by a desire to be closer to his family.
I hope the people of Calgary will remember me not just as a hockey player but as a person with strong values. Thank you for your support over the years and for making my family feel like part of yours,” he concluded the letter.
He mentioned that his decision to leave was driven by a wish to be nearer to his family, especially after his father had a heart attack in 2018, which highlighted how little he had seen them since joining the NHL. Meeting his wife, Meredith, also played a role in this decision.
As much as we both love Calgary, Meredith and I felt that living so far from our families was becoming increasingly difficult—particularly as we’re starting our own family, Gaudreau wrote.
One of the first times Gaudreau was mentioned was in an Edmonton Journal article from 2003. He was nine at the time and had been invited to a hockey tournament in Edmonton reserved for the best players his age, the Calgary Herald reported
When he played for Boston College, the Boston Globe took notice. He became the subject of a feature piece published in February 2012.
The piece referred to him as a “crafty freshman” and he earned praised from his then team captain Steve Whitney.
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