Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau’s sister Katie says 2024 was the ‘worst’ year of her life in heartbreaking post
Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau’s sister calls 2024 the “worst” year of her life after their devastating deaths the night before her wedding.
The Gaudreau brothers were killed Aug. 29 when police say they were hit by a suspected drunk driver while bicycling on a rural road.
The driver, Sean Higgins, has been charged with two counts of manslaughter, 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 out of me because I came out stronger and wiser.
‘2025 I don’t really know how to feel about you yet, because I don’t know how we leave 2024 like this.’
Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau’s sister, Katie, calls 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 after the tragedy, Matthew’s wife, Madeline, gave birth to a baby boy.
Tripp’s middle name turned out to be Matthew, after his father, while Madeline captioned the post, “Mommy & Daddy’s world.”
New Jersey police recently released dramatic bodycam footage of the nervous moments after the crash.
Higgins faces up to 20 years in prison over the tragedy and can be seen undergoing sobriety tests after admitting to drinking earlier in the day.
“I drank beer,” Higgins told police before admitting he had “five or six” Miller Lites.
Ultimately, he would claim that he “hadn’t had one in two hours.”
Prosecutors have accused Higgins of being legally drunk when his vehicle collided with the Gaudreau brothers as they cycled along a country road in suburban Philadelphia.
The father of two recorded 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 death by car accident.
New Jersey police last month released bodycam footage from moments after the crash
A confused Higgins is seen asking ‘what happened?’ after he was handcuffed on August 29
The police video, provided to ABC6 from Philadelphiaincludes footage of a handcuffed Higgins being read his Miranda rights before asking, “Is everyone okay there?” What happened?’
Higgins lives 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 Yugoslav republic in 2019, as he thanked his family for their support during his military career, DailyMail.com has learned .
He also served as head of Regional Command-East Civil-Military Cooperation during the tour, although it is unclear whether he is still currently serving in the U.S. military.
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 last month extended the period for prosecutors to file charges as Higgins remains in jail.
His attorney Matthew Portella called Higgins “a loving father of two daughters” who “made a terrible decision that night,” as quoted by ABC 6.
Maj. Sean Higgins has been charged with two counts of vehicular manslaughter after fatally shooting NHL star Johnny Gaudreau and his younger brother Matthew in New Jersey
Higgins is accused of being drunk when he collided with Gaudreau and his brother
New Jersey state troopers have described the crash as occurring after Higgins attempted to pass two slower vehicles on Country Route 551 in Oldmans Township in Salem County.
Although he continued to cooperate with police, Higgins appeared nervous in the video and admitted at several points that he “freaked out.”
He also alerted officers to recent knee surgery that could potentially affect his field sobriety tests.
“Does it affect you now?” an officer was heard asking.
“I’m (inaudible) nearby,” Higgins replied, apparently indicating he was limping.
“If you’re in pain, let me know,” the officer said.
Higgins had difficulty with some instructions and was heard asking officers to repeat themselves.
A frustrated officer eventually told Higgins to turn around and put your hands behind your back before handcuffing him.
Apparently confused, Higgins asked what happened, and an officer told him they would talk about it at the station.
The brothers, who played together at Boston College, have since been honored in Calgary and Columbus, where Johnny played professionally.