Donations to Matthew Gaudreau's widow reach over $550,000 after his death

Donations to a GoFundMe fundraiser for Madeline, the widow of late hockey player Matthew Gaudreau, and their unborn son Tripp have risen to over $550,000 as of Tuesday as family, friends, former teammates and fans continue to pay tribute to the late Gaudreau brothers.

Matthew and his older brother, Columbus Blue Jackets star Johnny Gaudreau, were killed by a motorist while riding their bikes last Thursday. Matthew was 29 and Johnny was 31.

Johnny and his wife Meredith have two children, one-year-old daughter Noa and seven-month-old son Johnny. Matthew and his wife Madeline are expecting their first child, son Tripp, later this year.

In a GoFundMe post to support Madeline and baby Tripp, the Gaudreau family said they are “heartbroken” over the “tragic and unfathomable loss” of the two brothers, who both played professional hockey – Matthew most recently in 2022 for the Worcester Railers of the East Coast Hockey League and Johnny for the Calgary Flames and later the Blue Jackets during his 11-year NHL career. Both brothers played hockey at Boston College before turning pro.

“During this unimaginably difficult time, we are coming together to support Matthew's wife Madeline and their growing baby Tripp and to help alleviate some of the financial burdens they are now facing,” the GoFundMe campaign for Matthew's family states. “Your support will allow them time off from work to grieve and heal as a family.”

The fatal crash occurred last Thursday in Oldmans Township, New Jersey, near the Gaudreau brothers' hometown in Salem County. According to New Jersey State Police, driver Sean M. Higgins was allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol when he fatally struck the Gaudreau brothers while attempting to pass another vehicle. Higgins was arrested and charged with two counts of vehicular manslaughter, police told PEOPLE.

According to jail records reviewed by PEOPLE, Higgins is being held without bail at the Salem County Correctional Facility.

According to her sister Katie Gaudreau's wedding website, Matthew and Johnny were in New Jersey the following day to attend the ceremony as witnesses.

“Last night we lost two husbands, two fathers, two sons, two brothers, two sons and brothers-in-law, two nephews, two cousins, two family members, two teammates, two friends, but truly two wonderful people,” the family said in a statement to WBZ-TV reporter Dan Roche last week. “We want everyone to know that we receive your messages of love and support and we appreciate your continued thoughts and prayers. We ask for your continued respect and privacy during this very difficult time of grief.”

The statement from Matthew and Johnny's uncle Jim Gaudreau was signed “by all of our families and from the bottom of our hearts, the Gaudreau, Morris, Korbitz, Venello and Joyce families.”

Tributes to the Gaudreau brothers have poured in from across the sporting world in recent days, as family members continued to share memories and memorabilia on social media.

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“John and Matty. You don't hear one name without the other,” wrote Meredith, Johnny's widow, in a memorial post over the weekend. “Always side by side. Even in large groups you'll find them shoulder to shoulder. John's younger brother – but he looked up to Matty and relied on him for everything. And Matty was always there.”

Meredith further described the brothers as “absolute best friends and biggest fans of each other, despite having completely opposite personalities.”

“Everyone wanted to be near her, including me,” Meredith added.