Jane Gaudreau, the grieving mother of former NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew, has spoken out after the drunk driver accused of killing her sons pleaded not guilty.
Jane shared two emotional quotes on her Instagram Stories following Sean M. Higgins’ court appearance on Tuesday, January 7. Higgins is accused of causing the fatal bike accident on August 29 that claimed the lives of her sons. The Gaudreau family attended the hearing, according to NJ.com... Continue reading here ▶
One of the quotes Jane posted read, “Sometimes life is hard. Some days are very rough, and sometimes you just have to cry before you can move forward … And that’s okay.”
The second quote, by Patrick Stump, said, “When you have a bad day — a really bad day — try and treat the world better than it treated you.”
Higgins, 44, allegedly drove under the influence of alcohol while attempting to pass another car. This caused him to hit Johnny and Matthew while they were riding bicycles near their hometown. The brothers were set to be groomsmen at their sister’s wedding the following day. Johnny, who had a 10-year NHL career playing for the Calgary Flames and Columbus Blue Jackets, was remembered as a talented and beloved player.
Body camera footage released by New Jersey State Police reportedly showed Higgins saying he was “freaked out” during a roadside sobriety test after the crash and asking if the men were okay. Prosecutors revealed that Higgins had a blood alcohol level of .087 at the time of the crash, which is above New Jersey’s legal limit of 0.08.
In December, Higgins was indicted on multiple charges, including second-degree reckless vehicular homicide and first-degree aggravated manslaughter, according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE.
At the hearing, Higgins’ defense attorneys argued that the accident resulted from “a combination of uniquely unfortunate circumstances unlikely to ever occur again.” However, state prosecutors described Higgins as having a history of road rage and drinking heavily, noting that he allegedly consumed up to six beers before the crash.
Higgins, a married father of two, is scheduled to return to court on February 4, as reported by NJ.com.
