Sean Higgins, a 43-year-old male, from Woodstown, New Jersey, was driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee in the same direction as the Gaudreau brothers when he attempted to pass two slower vehicles in front of him. During the takeover maneuver, he hit both Johnny Gaudreau and his brother and they died on scene.
The Columbus Blue Jackets issued a statement about Johnny Gaudreau's passing this morning. It was a tragic statement that speaks to just how much these two young hockey stars were loved by their families and friends, and no doubt all of the fans of the game.
Johnny Gaudreau was a 4th-round pick by the Calgary Flames in 2011. He went on to play in 763 career games, having scored 243 goals and 500 assists for 743 points. Gaudreau was one of the smaller players in the game, barely standing at 5-foot-9, but he played the game with such speed and finesse that his lack of height did not prove to be a disadvantage at all to him.