The investigation into Sean Higgins, the driver accused of fatally striking hockey players Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau, has revealed police body camera footage showing Higgins taking a sobriety test and being arrested.
The footage was released as part of the investigation into the tragic crash that claimed the lives of the Gaudreau brothers.
The nearly 10-minute video, made public on Friday evening, captures the moments following the fatal collision that occurred on August 29, 2023, in Oldsman Township.
The footage shows Higgins, 43, from Woodstown, New Jersey, less than an hour after the crash that resulted in the deaths of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau. In the video, Higgins admits to having been “drinking beers” earlier that evening. He is then seen taking a sobriety test before being handcuffed by police.
The crash took place at approximately 8:19 p.m., and the body camera recording begins at 8:42 p.m. The Gaudreau brothers were pronounced dead at around 8:37 p.m. They were scheduled to be groomsmen at their sister’s wedding in Philadelphia the following day.
According to the police crash report, Higgins continued driving for 1,500 feet after the collision before stopping. Prosecutors have stated that Higgins had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.087%, which is above the legal limit of 0.08% in New Jersey.
In the bodycam footage, Higgins is seen standing outside his black Jeep Grand Cherokee, where he tells officers that although he had been drinking, he hadn’t had a beer in “probably an hour or so” before the accident.
Before the field sobriety test, Higgins also mentions that he had knee surgery just six days prior, which he says made him “gimp around.”
As he is handcuffed, Higgins expresses concern, stating that he is “freaked out,” and admits to having consumed “five or six” beers since noon that day.
bout seven minutes into the video, officers place him in handcuffs. He then asks police, “Is everyone okay back there? I mean, what happened?” The officers respond that they will provide further details at the station.
The delay in releasing new reports about the case is due to New Jersey state law, which allows victims’ families to redact or withhold public records for privacy or health reasons. The Gaudreau family exercised this right.
Additionally, 911 calls from three witnesses to the crash were released, though heavily redacted, following a Nov. 21 judge’s order that ensured their anonymity.
Higgins, who is currently being held at the Salem County Correctional Facility, faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. He has been charged with two counts of death by auto, reckless driving, possession of an open container, and consuming alcohol in a vehicle.
