Katie Gaudreau was supposed to be a newlywed by now, but instead she’s mourning the loss of her brothers, Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau, who were fatally struck by a suspected drunk driver less than 24 hours before her wedding was set to take place.
Johnny and Matthew — 31 and 29 years old, respectively — were riding bikes along county Route 551 in Oldmans Township, near where they grew up in New Jersey, when they were hit by a Jeep Grand Cherokee Thursday night.
Jersey State Police said its driver, 43-year-old Sean Higgins — who confessed to drinking five or six beers before getting behind the wheel — was trying to pass another vehicle on the right when he struck the men from behind.
Both brothers, who were supposed to serve as groomsmen at their sister’s wedding last week, were pronounced dead on the scene.
“To know these two was to love these two,” Katie wrote in social media tribute Monday, marking the first time she has addressed the tragedy.
“There are absolutely no words I have to express the bond my family shared,” she continued. “The entire world knows there would never have been a John without Matty or Matty without John. The absolute best big brothers a little girl could have asked for.”
Her emotional words were paired with a carousel of photos, featuring her grinning brothers in a series of happy memories they shared with her and their parents, Jane and Guy Gaudreau.
“This will never be a goodbye post because I will never stop saying your names and honoring you both,” Katie concluded. “I’ll take the best care of mom, dad, Kristen, Mer, Madeline, and your babies.”
Katie was supposed to trade “I dos” with hockey player Devin Joyce in Gloucester City on Friday.
A hockey fan pays respects to Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew at a memorial on the steps at the Scotiabank Saddledome on August 31, 2024, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Leah Hennel/Getty Images)
Both brothers played for the hockey team at Boston College. Johnny was drafted by the Calgary Flames in the fourth round of the 2011 NHL Draft just out of school and went on to sign with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2022. He leaves behind his wife, Meredith, and their two young children.
Matthew, meanwhile, served as the hockey coach at the men’s high school alma mater, Gloucester Catholic in New Jersey. He also was an expectant father. His wife, Madeline, is due to have their first child in December.