Husband of South Carolina bride killed on wedding night says ‘she’s up there smiling’ at outpouring of support
A daylight vigil for Samantha Miller, a bride who was killed by an alleged drunk driver just moments after leaving her wedding reception on a golf cart, was held Saturday on a beach in South Carolina. Aric Hutchinson, the late bride’s husband, was among at least hundred people who returned to Folly Beach to honor Miller’s life by tossing flowers into the ocean with the name “Sam” written on the stems, WYFF News 4 and WCSC report.
“She would’ve loved it,” Hutchinson told WYFF News 4. “This is Sam. I mean, she’s a beach girl, through and through. We do walk here almost every morning, and this is her send-off for sure. She’s up there smiling for sure.” Miller, 34, died on April 28 in Folly Beach when a car struck the back of a golf cart she was riding in alongside her husband and two others, PEOPLE previously reported. The golf cart was reportedly thrown more than 100 yards and rolled several times, according to a GoFundMe page created by the groom’s mother.
Hutchinson, 36, sustained multiple broken bones to his legs and vertebrae, in addition to brain bleeds stemming from the deadly crash, according to the fundraiser. Two others also sustained injuries. Hutchinson, who sat in a wheelchair during the vigil, opened up about his road to recovery.
“I’m feeling pretty good,” he told WCSC. “My body’s getting back to where I can manage, I guess. It’s just as good as I can feel with the situation, but obviously, today and the outpouring of people was just amazing. I know Sam would love it.” The alleged drunk driver, Jamie Lee Komoroski, is charged with one count of reckless homicide and three counts of felony DUI resulting in great bodily harm. She remains in custody, according to online court records. It’s unclear if she has entered a plea. Komoroski had a blood alcohol level of 0.261 percent, explains WCSC, citing authorities. The level is more than three times the legal limit in South Carolina.
In a previously released affidavit, authorities also stated that Komoroski nearly fell down when police asked her to perform the sobriety test. According to FOX News, Komoroski is being represented by defense attorneys Nathan S. Williams and Christopher S. Gramiccioni.
In a statement obtained by the outlet, Williams and Gramiccioni said, “We cannot fathom what the families are going through and offer our deepest sympathies. We simply ask that there not be a rush to judgment. Our court system is founded upon principles of justice and mercy, and that is where all facts will come to light.”
