“Right in the middle of getting ready for the best day of my life the unthinkable happens,” wrote Katie, whose brothers Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau were killed by a suspected drunk driver the day before her wedding.
Katie Gaudreau, the younger sister of late NHL star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew, is recalling the moment she learned of the devastating accident that took her brothers’ lives.
Johnny, 31, and Matthew, 29, were biking in their home state of New Jersey last Thursday when a suspected drunk driver mowed them down, killing the pair and forcing Katie to cancel her August 30 wedding, where both brothers were set to serve as groomsmen.
TMZ Sports reported that Katie and her fiancé, Devin Joyce, made the decision to call off their wedding ceremony in the wake of the fatal crash.
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In an Instagram post on Thursday, Katie shared a series of throwback photos of herself and her brothers from their childhood, and detailed the day that “chang[ed] my life forever,” revealing she was wedding planning when she found out about the tragic news.
“That day. Right in the middle of getting ready for the best day of my life the unthinkable happens that will change my life forever,” she wrote. “I remember a week ago being in the hotel sitting with family and texting Devin about how we forgot to practice our dip.”
“To think that was our biggest worry at this moment when in just a split second and a phone call later our lives would forever change,” she added.
Katie ended her post by reminding those to “remember to tell your people you love them,” adding, “I would do anything to tell my big brothers I love them one more time.”
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Earlier this week, Katie took to her Instagram Stories to open up about her upcoming nuptials following her brothers’ tragic deaths.
She reshared an emotional tribute her fiancé recently posted on Instagram. Alongside the post, Katie wrote, “My brothers loved devin more than he will ever know. They were so excited for us to get married.”
“When the day comes they are going to be dancing and celebrating more than anyone,” she added.
In his post, Joyce paid tribute to Johnny and Matthew, sharing a series of family photos.
“They say when you find the one, you’re not just marrying them but their family too. I know I never said it but I loved you guys so much. I’m so lucky to have called you two my brothers for as long as I did.”
“There is not a second that will go by I will not look at Katie and see both of you. I promise to take the absolute best care of your little sister and I know when the day comes you will be with us on that day.”
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Johnny, who played in the NHL for the Columbus Blue Jackets, was married to wife Meredith Gaudreau, with whom he shared two children, 1-year-old daughter Noa and 6-month-old son Johnny Jr., while Matthew was expecting his first baby with his wife, Madeline Gaudreau, when he died.
A GoFundMe page to support Madeline and her unborn son, Tripp, has already raised over $500,000.
Several sports stars have also paid tribute to the Gaudreau brothers in the wake of their death, including LeBron James, Mike Trout and more.
The driver involved in the accident, Sean M. Higgins, was arrested and charged with two counts of vehicular homicide after allegedly admitting to having five or six beers before the incident.
According to NJ.com, Higgins’ detention hearing — which was set to take place on Thursday — has been postponed until September 13 after both the prosecution and defense requested additional time to file exhibits and legal briefs.
He still currently remains behind bars.
