A bride who lost her life to a drunk driver on her wedding day had, mere moments before the tragic incident, expressed to her newlywed husband that she “didn’t want the evening to conclude”.
Samantha Miller, aged 34, passed away still adorned in her wedding gown, while her husband Aric Hutchinson sustained a traumatic brain injury along with multiple fractures after Jamie Lee Komoroski collided with the golf cart they were riding in following their beach ceremony.
Komoroski, 27, has received a sentence of 25 years in prison for the 2023 incident that took place in South Carolina.
The Charleston County Courthouse was informed that Komoroski had consumed alcohol at various bars and was driving more than three times over the legal blood alcohol limit.
She was reportedly traveling at 65 mph on a narrow Folly Beach road where the speed limit was 25 mph.
Mr. Hutchinson wept in court as he recounted the final moments shared with his wife.
Aric Hutchinson in tears during the sentencing hearing. Pic: AP
He remarked: “On the golf cart, she told me she didn’t want the evening to end and I kissed her on the forehead, and then the next moment I recall is waking up in the hospital.”
Komoroski admitted guilt to reckless homicide, felony DUI resulting in death, and two counts of felony DUI leading to significant bodily harm.
She pledged to devote her life to assisting addicts and raising awareness about the hazards of drinking and driving.
Jamie Lee Komoroski was imprisoned for 25 years. Pic: AP
Komoroski expressed that she was “heartbroken, profoundly ashamed and remorseful” for her actions, stating: “I wish I could revert time and erase this terrible misfortune. But that is not possible.”
“I will bear the weight of intense regret for the events of that evening for the rest of my life.”
She declared that all her efforts will be dedicated to honoring Ms. Miller’s legacy.
She mentioned: “I pray that God supports my victims and their families and loved ones for the duration of their lives.”
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A variety of family members and friends from both Ms. Miller and Komoroski addressed the hearing, which lasted nearly three hours.
Komoroski’s advocates requested the judge to exercise leniency given her youth and potential for positive impact.
Ms. Miller’s family. Pic: AP
Numerous members of Miller’s family called for a severe sentence, asserting that Komoroski’s choices that evening were selfish and resulted in irreversible consequences for many.
Mr. Hutchinson recounted attending appointments with medical professionals and therapists due to his physical injuries and emotional distress.
He stated: “I wish I had perished that night. I wish I had noticed it coming. I would have leaped off the golf cart so you could have only struck me.”
Mr. Hutchinson received $863,000 (£680,000) in legal settlements from three bars that served Komoroski, as well as her insurance provider and the agency from which she rented her vehicle.
Prior to the sentencing, Ms. Miller’s father conveyed to Komoroski that she could offer an apology, but he would remain unreceptive to it.
“For the remainder of my life, I will harbor hatred for you, and when I eventually arrive in hell, if you come there, I will open the door for you,” Brad Warner expressed.
“You have devastated countless lives.”
