‘Please do not put another family through this torture’: Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau’s widows have an urgent message for drivers everywhere

In a sweet and picturesque scene that turned into a nightmare, Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau were riding bikes on the night of Aug. 29th, 2024 and looking forward to their sister Katie’s wedding the next day. After being hit by a driver who was allegedly drunk, both Gaudreau brothers passed away.

Anyone who has heard this devastating story mourned this loss along with the Matthew and Johnny’s loved ones and the hockey community. It’s impossible not to feel for their families, especially when learning more about the night of the accident, and the love that was in the air during their funeral.

What happened to Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau, and what was their memorial service like?

USA Today reported that a man named Sean Higgins was allegedly behind the wheel of a Jeep Grand Cherokee while drunk, and said he had between five and six beers. Higgins said the alcohol “contributed to his impatience and reckless driving.” After Higgins changed lanes to drive by a sedan, he hit Johnny and Matthew. Higgins spent time at Salem County Correctional Facility, and has been charged with vehicular homicide.

Matthew and Johnny Gaudreau’s memorial service was on Monday Sept. 9th, 2024 at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church, which is in Media, Pennsylvania. Matthew’s wife Madeline talked about the dangers of driving drunk and said, “Call a ride. Please do not put another family through this torture.” What should have been a happy night before a beautiful family wedding had become a reckoning with loss instead, and it’s impossible to imagine the grief the brothers’ parents and widows are experiencing. It never gets easier to hear about DUIs or drunk driving incidents, and this is one of the most painful ones.

While nothing can change the horror of this accident or the outpouring of grief, Johnny’s widow Meredith Gaudreau made a beautiful speech, and no doubt countless people have cried while reading her words. According to The Associated Press, Meredith said, “John and I had the best six months as a family of four. These will forever be the best six months of my life.” Meredith thanked Kevin Hayes and Sean Monahan, who were some of Johnny’s best pals, for being “his brothers.”

Meredith also explained during her eulogy that she was expecting her and Johnny’s third baby, which adds another terrible layer to the tragedy. In fact, Madeline and Meredith are both expecting babies currently, which is just heart-wrenching to think about. Johnny and Meredith have two children, Johnny and Noa, and Madeline is currently expecting her first baby, whom she and Matthew named Tripp.

Before the funeral, the Gloucester Catholic school, which Johnny attended, paid tribute to the brothers on Sept. 6th, 2024, and there have been candlelight vigils and memorials as well.

Besides the absolutely unfair nature of this tragedy, what is clear in the aftermath of the terrible passing of the Gaudreau brothers is how close and loving this family is. Matthew and Johnny’s sister Katie shared that she had her siblings’s initials engraved on her wedding ring. According to People, she called them “the absolute best big brothers a little girl could have ever asked for” in a post on Instagram. Katie also said “This will never be a goodbye post because I will never stop saying your names and honoring you both.”

There are moments in life when you remember that all the little frustrations of daily life don’t matter, and that you need to cherish your people. And while it can be easy to read a tragic story and then forget about it, that likely won’t happen here. No one can hear Matthew and Johnny Gaudreau’s story without being moved by them, their compassionate natures, and the incredible families they tragically left behind.