NHL Star Johnny Gaudreau Killed Hours Before Sister's Wedding

UPDATE

7:17 AM PT -- A church official tells TMZ Sports ... Katie Gaudreau and Devin Joyce's wedding has been canceled in wake of the tragedy.

NHL superstar Johnny Gaudreau and his little brother, Matthew, died just hours before their sister was set to get married.

Katie Gaudreau and Devin Joyce were scheduled to the tie the knot at a ceremony at 1:45 PM on Friday at a church in New Jersey. According to Katie's Instagram page, the couple had actually rehearsed the event on Thursday night -- just before the Gaudreau brothers were tragically killed.

NHL Star Johnny Gaudreau Dead At 31 ... Killed By Suspected Drunk Driver

Update

5:45 AM PT -- New Jersey State Police tell TMZ ... "Troopers responded to a motor vehicle crash at 8:19 PM on County Route 551 North, milepost 11.1 Oldmans Township, Salem County. Based on a preliminary investigation, two pedalcyclists, John M. Gaudreau, a 31-year-old male from Carneys Point, N.J., and Matthew R. Gaudreau, a 29-year-old male from Pedricktown, N.J., were traveling north on County Route 551, close to the fog line of the roadway. Sean M. Higgins, a 43-year-old male from Woodstown, N.J., was traveling north on CR 551 in a Jeep Grand Cherokee behind a sedan and SUV."

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SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT
6abc Action News

"Higgins attempted to pass the slower-moving sedan and SUV, entered the southbound lanes of travel, passed the slower-moving sedan, and attempted to re-enter the northbound lanes of travel when the SUV in front of Higgins moved to the middle of the roadway, splitting the north and south lanes to safely pass the two pedalcyclist traveling north on the right side of the roadway. Higgins then attempted to pass the SUV on the right and struck the two pedalcyclists in the rear. As a result of the collision, the two pedalcyclists sustained fatal injuries."

They concluded ... "Through further investigation, Higgins was suspected of being under the influence of alcohol, charged with two counts of death by auto, and lodged in the Salem County Correctional Facility. This crash remains an active investigation, and no additional information is available."

'RHOC' Star Lauri Peterson Son Josh Waring's Cause of Death Revealed

It's been nearly 5 months since "The Real Housewives of Orange County" star Lauri Peterson announced the passing of her son, Josh Waring ... and TMZ has learned what caused his death.

California's Orange County Sheriff-Coroner Department tells TMZ ... the Bravo personality's late son died from the combined effects of fentanyl, methamphetamine and olanzapine -- with the death officially ruled "accidental."

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Lauri hinted drugs may have played a factor in Josh's death when she disclosed his passing on Instagram back in April.

Delta Tire Explosion DECEASED WORKER ON CUSP OF RETIRING ... Widow In Disbelief

Mirko Marweg, the Delta Air Lines worker who was among the casualties in a deadly tire explosion at the Atlanta airport this week, was oh so close to retiring before his tragic death.

Mirko's widow, Scottie Ann Marweg, says her late husband was planning on retiring next June ... after working his paint shop job with Delta for two decades.

His wife of 28 years also told WANF News in Georgia she was still having a hard time processing Mirko's death ... explaining she is still in "disbelief."

Netflix's 'Elite' Star Julian Ortega Dead at 41 ... Cardiac Arrest on Beach

Julian Ortega -- star of the viral Netflix show "Elite" -- has died ... after collapsing on a beach in Spain, despite lifeguards' best efforts to save him.

The actor passed away Sunday afternoon, according to officials in Spain.

Initial reports indicated the actor drowned -- but authorities tell TMZ the 41-year-old actually went into cardiac arrest on the shore.

Spain's Directorate-General of the Civil Guard tells us he died predictably due to a heart attack in Barbate, a town on the Atlantic Coast.

Stephen 'tWitch' Boss' Widow Meet My New Boyfriend!!! Soft-Launches Mystery Man

Allison Holker has found love again ... nearly 2 years after the tragic death of her husband, Stephen "tWitch" Boss.

The "So You Think You Can Dance" alum took to Instagram Wednesday to soft-launch her new relationship ... with a photo of her shadow holding the hand of an unnamed man.

While it's clear Allison isn't ready to go fully public with her new romance, she's showing she's moving past her loss ... putting a heart emoji in the IG caption.

Delta Tire Explosion Deceased Worker Unrecognizable, Son Says ... Relied on Tattoos & Lanyard for ID

Mirko Marweg, one of 2 workers to perish in a plane-tire explosion at a Delta Air Lines maintenance facility at Atlanta's international airport Tuesday, was unrecognizable after the blast ... his son, Andre Coleman, has revealed.

Following the tragedy, which left 2 dead and another seriously injured, Andre spoke with 11Alive News about the severe state of his father's remains after the incident that killed Marweg.

Per Andre, he requested to see his father's body after the explosion ... as he couldn't believe his dad was actually dead. But the medical examiner told Andre and his relatives Mirko's body was "unrecognizable." Officials used tattoos and a Mississippi State lanyard around Mirko's neck to identify him.

Soccer Player Juan Izquierdo Dead At 27 ... Days After Collapsing on Pitch

Soccer player Juan Izquierdo -- a defender for the Nacional team -- has tragically passed away less than a week after he collapsed on the pitch during a game, his team confirmed.

Izquierdo was only 27.

The Uruguayan professional sports club announced the devastating news Tuesday evening ... Izquierdo died following his collapse during the August 22nd game.

Mariah Carey Dead Silence With Sister Before Death ... Addiction The Big Issue

Mariah Carey did NOT have any contact with her sister before she died ... because an alleged drug addiction drove a massive wedge between the two siblings.

Sources close to the situation tell TMZ ... Mariah never once contacted her sister, Alison, before she passed ... and instead spent the past week with their dying mother, Patricia.

Mariah was estranged from Alison ... and our sources say it's all because Alison suffered for many years from addiction. We're told Mariah tried supporting Alison, both emotionally and financially, but it wasn't enough to get Alison back on the straight and narrow.

DELTA AIRLINES FLIGHT 2 DEAD, 1 INJURED AFTER TIRE EXPLODES ... At Atlanta Airport

Two people are dead and a third is seriously injured after a Delta flight's tire blew up while it was being removed from the plane in Atlanta.

The explosion rocked an airport maintenance area Tuesday ... with firefighters and police officers rushing to the Delta TechOps hangar near the international terminal at Hartsfield-Jackson, just after 5 AM.

The victims haven't been publicly identified ... but the company confirmed one person killed was a Delta employee and the other person killed was a contractor. There’s no update yet on the injured person’s condition.

MARIAH CAREY MOM AND SISTER DIED ON SAME DAY

Mariah Carey is facing double the heartbreak -- her mom, Patricia, and her sister, Alison, both died on the same day over the weekend, TMZ has confirmed.

The singer said in a statement to TMZ, "My heart is broken that I’ve lost my mother this past weekend. Sadly, in a tragic turn of events, my sister lost her life on the same day."

Mariah added, "I feel blessed that I was able to spend the last week with my mom before she passed."

Scott Thorson Liberace's Lover Dead At 65

Scott Thorson -- who dished on his romance with Liberace in his 1988 memoir "Behind the Candelabra" just a year after the famed pianist’s death -- has died.

Thorson died on August 16 -- he'd been a patient at an L.A. healthcare facility, where he had been dealing with cancer and a heart condition.

Thorson was hired as Liberace's personal friend and companion when he was 18 and the icon was 57 -- which kicked off their 5-year romance.

Rob 'The Rabbit' Pitts NETFLIX STAR DEAD AT 45

Rob "The Rabbit" Pitts -- star of Netflix’s "Tex Mex Motors" --  has died after a battle with stomach cancer ... TMZ has confirmed.

The car salesman said farewell in a YouTube video titled "This Is Goodbye (RIP 7/27/79 - 8/25/24)" ... and his videographer confirmed his death in the comments, writing, "I am with him now in Hospice. He just passed at 21:45 on 08/25/2024. He will be missed and we will never forget him!"

In his text-based farewell video, Rob shared he felt "off," and started experiencing symptoms like weight loss and acid reflux while filming "Tex Mex Motors" season 2 ... which his doctors finally diagnosed as stomach cancer.

NBA's Aaron Gordon Changing Jersey Number ... To Honor Late Brother

NBA star Aaron Gordon will honor his late brother every time he steps on the court ... making the move to change his jersey number as a special tribute to Drew.

The Denver Nuggets forward -- who previously wore No. 50 -- will sport No. 32 this upcoming season ... the same digits Drew had during his own career.

Drew played professionally overseas (where he won the Italian Cup) and in the G-League ... and made nine appearances with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2014.

Alabama H.S. QB Caden Tellier Dead At 16 ... After Suffering Head Injury During Game

Caden Tellier -- a high school quarterback in Alabama -- has tragically died at just 16 years old after he sustained a head injury during a game on Friday night.

Tellier was tackled to the ground during John T. Morgan Academy's season-opening contest against Southern Academy in Selma ... and was quickly airlifted to the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital when it became apparent something was seriously wrong with him.

Sadly, school officials revealed he did not survive the injury.

OKLAHOMA CITY POLICE FATAL SHOOTING CAUGHT ON BODY CAM

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IGNORING POLICE COMMANDS
Oklahoma City Police Department

Oklahoma City Police just dropped dramatic body cam footage ... showing the intense moment cops shot an armed man in a fatal incident that began as a mental health call.

The clip's a tough watch -- It shows Brandon Lena, in distress, walking around with a pistol outside his house near Tinker Air Force Base.

Despite officers’ efforts to calm things down, it escalates quickly, ending with Lena’s death in the street.

Watch the video ... Officers James Doran, Joshua Geerdes and Jimmy Hatfield introduce themselves as Crisis Intervention Team members ... and they beg Lena to drop the gun. He's repeatedly warned -- but Lena points his gun straight at them.