DUI driver admits crashing a car a year after tragedy that killed South Carolina bride on wedding night

A South Carolina A woman accused of killing a bride on her wedding night in a drunk driving accident last April pleaded guilty as her trial was set to begin on Monday.

Jury selection was set to begin in the trial of 27-year-old Jamie Komoroski, who police say was more than three times the legal limit when she crashed into a golf cart carrying newlyweds Samantha Miller, 34, and her Groom Aric Hutchinson (36) was on their wedding night and killed Miller.

A judge sentenced Komoroski to 25 years in prison after she pleaded guilty to one count of driving under the influence, two counts of driving under the influence resulting in serious bodily injury or death and one count of involuntary manslaughter, WCSC reported.

When asked about her decision to plead guilty to the charges, Komoroski told the court that she was guilty, could not be persuaded to enter the charge and was forgoing a jury trial.

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Jame Lee Komoroski pleaded guilty to a drunk driving crash that killed bride Samantha Miller and seriously injured groom Aric Hutchinson on the couple’s wedding night. The couple is shown leaving their South Carolina wedding reception under a canopy of sparklers minutes before the collision. (Charleston County Sheriff’s Office/GoFundMe)

“I feel like the punishment fits the crime,” Hutchinson told WCSC after the sentencing. “I think she’s sorry. But that doesn’t change the fact that Sam isn’t here, my wife isn’t here, the family we planned, all our hurts. So it’s definitely going to take some time.”

Investigators say Komoroski was traveling at 65 miles per hour in a 25 mph zone on April 28, 2023, when her rental car struck Miller and her husband as they were leaving their reception in Folly Beach, South Carolina.

Miller died from her injuries, while Hutchinson suffered two broken legs, multiple facial fractures and brain injuries.

Hutchinson, along with Miller’s family, spoke in court Monday about the void Komoroski left them.

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Jamie Komoroski (left) confessed to the fatal accident that killed Samantha Miller on her wedding night. (Folly Beach Public Safety, Jamie Komoroski/Instagram, SC 9th Judicial Circuit)

“Do you know what it’s like to vow to protect your wife, do nothing for her, and then lose her hours later?” Hutchinson asked Komoroski.

“She told me she didn’t want the night to end and I kissed her on the forehead and the next thing I remember is waking up in the hospital,” Hutchinson recalls.

Lisa Miller, the late bride’s mother, described to the court the pain she suffered and relived when she hugged her daughter for the last time, which happened during a dance at the wedding reception just hours before the fatal accident.

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Aric Hutchinson and Samantha Miller’s wedding in Folly Beach, South Carolina. (Facebook)

Addressing the Miller and Hutchinson families, Komoroski said she was willing to receive whatever punishment the judge deemed appropriate for her decisions.

“I am truly and deeply sorry. I take full responsibility for my actions,” Komoroski said. “For the rest of my life I will carry this guilt and take full responsibility.”

Back in June, a South Carolina judge approved a $1.3 million partial settlement for victims’ families arising from a wrongful death lawsuit Hutchinson filed against Komoroski.

The lawsuit alleges that Komoroski had a “day of drinking and bar crawling” and that the establishments she visited that day were required to “exercise due care” when serving alcoholic beverages.

The bars where Komoroski served before the accident and the rental car company she used are being asked to pay the seven-figure price.

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Several of the companies named in the lawsuit have settled with Hutchinson, which would give the parties involved $863,000 after fees, WCSC reported.

Hutchinson’s lawyer, Danny Dalton, said the amount was less than expected because of an ongoing property dispute between Hutchinson and the murdered bride’s mother, who has challenged whether the couple was legally married.