Sean Higgins, the New Jersey driver accused of causing a drunken driving crash that killed NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew, is scheduled to go to trial on January 5, 2027, unless a plea agreement is reached. A judge announced the trial date in Salem County court.
Higgins, a 45-year-old army veteran, faces up to 72 years in prison if convicted on all charges, which include aggravated manslaughter, reckless vehicular homicide, tampering with evidence, and leaving the scene of a fatal accident. He has pleaded not guilty to all counts.
The fatal collision occurred on the night of August 29, 2024. Johnny Gaudreau, 31, and his 29-year-old brother Matthew Gaudreau, also a professional hockey player, were cycling on the side of the road in Oldmans Township when they were allegedly struck by Higgins' vehicle. The siblings were returning from a wedding rehearsal dinner at the time of the crash.
Prosecutors allege that Higgins, who had a blood-alcohol content of .087, exceeding the legal limit of .08, passed another car on the road before hitting the cyclists. Higgins' defense team has made two unsuccessful attempts to have the case dismissed, arguing that the Gaudreau brothers were intoxicated at the time of the crash and, alternatively, that Higgins himself was below the legal blood-alcohol limit.
In preparation for the upcoming trial, Higgins' lawyer stated that a laboratory is set to receive vials of Higgins' blood from prosecutors. The defense plans to conduct its own testing to determine Higgins' precise blood-alcohol level on the night of the incident. If a plea agreement is not reached by the final pre-trial conference on October 19, jury selection is anticipated to begin on December 1. The judge indicated that jury selection could take up to two weeks, with a panel to be dismissed until after the holiday season before proceedings commence.