Aric Hutchinson and Samantha Miller had both said ‘I do’ and were looking forward to their new life as a married couple, but their happiness was cut short when what was supposed to be the best night of their lives ended in tragedy.The newlyweds exited their reception on Folly Beach, an island off the coast of South Carolina, through a canopy of sparklers and boarded the back of the low speed vehicle (LSV), a street legal cart similar to a golf cart.
The cart was driven by Aric’s cousins, Benjamin and Brogan Garrett, who sat in the front. They were only two blocks away from Aric and Samantha’s apartment when a vehicle driven by Jamie Lee Komoroski, 25, collided with the back of the LSV. Komorski was driving a Toyota he had rented. Samantha died at the scene of the crash from blunt force injuries, according to the coroner’s office, while Aric was severely injured, suffering a head injury and broken bones.
He is still in critical condition. Benjamin was also seriously injured and hospitalized, while Brogan, his nephew, was injured but released from the hospital on Friday. Komorski was said to be drunk at the time of the accident. Data from her rental car showed she was driving 65 mph in a 25 mph zone and only briefly hit the brakes before crashing on Folly Beach around 10 p.m. Friday.
The Safety Department Director Andrew Gilreath confirmed that the LSV had lights and was legal to drive at night. “I’m not sure what distracted her, but she literally ran into my daughter at 65 miles per hour.” “She basically just whammed my child because Sammie and Aric were on the back of the golf cart,” Samantha’s heartbroken mother, who had danced with her daughter just hours before the tragic crash, said.”We were sitting on the balcony in our pjs when we heard the sirens.”
“And the sirens continued,” Samantha’s sister, Mandi Jenkins, explained. They drove to the scene after she texted her sister and received no response, and what they saw was horrifying. Komoroski was charged with reckless vehicular homicide and three counts of DUI resulting in death. On each DUI count, she faces up to 25 years in prison. Komorski refused to provide a breath sample at the police station, but a warrant was issued for two viles of blood,
the results of which are not yet available.Annette Hutchinson, Aric’s mother, started a GoFundMe page to help with her son’s medical bills and Samantha’s funeral expenses “Aric is in critical condition and has undergone one of two reconstruction surgeries, as well as numerous broken bones and a brain injury; he will require extensive rehabilitation.” Ben and Brogan were also hurt, with Ben in critical condition.”
“I was handed Aric’s wedding ring in a plastic bag at the hospital five hours after Sam placed it on his finger and they read their vows,” she continued. Aric has lost his life’s love.” On Wednesday, this campaign had nearly $600,000 of its $100,000 goal raised. Samantha’s sister Mandi’s GoFundMe page helped raise nearly $37,000 of the $10,000 goal.
“Samantha was fearless, and she spent the last day of her life as such.” She was overjoyed to begin her life with Aric. She was free of nerves and hesitation that day. On the beach, you could feel the love.”