NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother killed in accident

[CardsofSTL]

https://apnews.com/article/johnny-gaudr ... 638e6aca32

NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his younger brother were killed Thursday night when they were hit by a suspected drunken driver while riding bicycles in their home state of New Jersey, police said Friday.

Gaudreau, 31, and brother, Matthew, 29, are Carneys Point, New Jersey, natives and were scheduled 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 them from behind. They were pronounced dead on the scene.

Police said the driver, 43-year-old Sean M. Higgins, 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.

RIP Johnny Hockey and his younger brother Matthew.

Really terrible situation. He had young kids and was gathered with family for a wedding.

[CardsofSTL]

[JCShutout]

Holy cow. Absolutely heart breaking.

[CardsofSTL]

Sadness

[CardsofSTL]

This story keeps getting more sad

During the memorial service Monday for her husband, Johnny, Meredith Gaudreau announced that she is pregnant.

Blue Jackets forward Johnny Gaudreau was killed Aug. 29 when he was riding a bicycle along the right shoulder of a southern New Jersey road and struck from behind. A driver had attempted to pass a car that had drifted to the center of the roadway to give Gaudreau space. He was killed alongside his brother, Matthew, who was biking with him.

Johnny Gaudreau left behind Meredith, his wife of almost three years, and two children: Noa, born in September 2022, and Johnny, born this February. Meredith’s pregnancy was not known publicly until the memorial service, held in Broomall, Pennsylvania.

“We are actually a family of five,” Meredith said. “I’m in my ninth week pregnancy with our third baby. A total surprise but again, John was beaming and was so excited. I was so nervous, because this was, again, a total surprise, but his reaction was just immediately kissing me and hugging me — even though I was driving the car [when I told him].

“After the initial excitement sank in, every time, he looked at me, he would say, ‘You’re nuts, you know that?’ In less than three years of marriage, we created a family of five. It doesn’t even sound possible, but I look at it as the ultimate blessing.”

[GeddyWrox]

What a gut-punch. Jesus.

[Fat_Bulldog]

This [expletive] breaks my heart.

[CardsofSTL]

[GeddyWrox]

That's total class right there. Got me choked up.