The family of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau is hoping to keep records private following the fatal crash that took both of their lives.
Johnny, 31, a forward with the Columbus Blue Jackets, and his younger brother, Matthew, 29, were struck and killed by a suspected drunk driver while riding bikes in Oldmans Township, New Jersey on August 29.
The Gaudreau family has since filed a motion that would prevent any government entity from releasing records related to the crash, including 911 calls, video footage from police dashboard and body cameras, photographs, investigative reports or autopsy images, according to NJ.com.
Before a ruling on the motion is made, law enforcement agencies and other government entities are temporarily barred from releasing those records based on an order signed by a Superior Court Judge.
A hearing on the motion is scheduled for October 8.
Johnny and Matthew are survived by their parents, Guy and Jane, and their two sisters, Katie and Kristen. In addition, Johnny is survived by his wife, Meredith Gaudreau, daughter Noa, 2, and son Johnny, 7 months. At the memorial service held for the brothers on September 9, Meredith revealed she is currently pregnant with their third baby.
Matthew is also survived by his wife Madeline Gaudreau, who announced she was pregnant with their first baby shortly after Matthew’s death.
The family’s motion comes on the heels of law enforcement notes related to the incident showing up on social media. Hours after the crash, according to NJ.com, a photo of handwritten notes containing details about the crash and identifying the Gaudreau brothers appeared on Reddit and X.
The notes included birth dates, home addresses and details about the crash that were not publicly available previously.
Sean M. Higgins, the man accused of fatally striking Johnny and Matthew with his vehicle, remains behind bars after being charged with two counts of vehicular homicide.
During a September 13 court appearance, it was revealed that Higgins’ blood-alcohol level was .087, over the legal limit of .08.
Higgins had previously admitted to New Jersey State Police that he had consumed “five to six beers” before killing Johnny and Matthew. He also admitted to drinking while he was operating his vehicle.
Higgins is accused of driving erratically and impatiently, eventually striking the brothers at a high rate of speed and killing them instantly. During the hearing, Judge Michael Silviano said, “[Higgins’] operation was so impaired that he didn’t even see these two young men on their bikes riding safely on the roadway.”
His next court date is scheduled for October 15. Higgins is facing a maximum of 20 years in prison.
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