A South Carolina A woman accused of killing a bride on her wedding night in a DUI crash last April pleaded guilty as her trial was set to begin Monday.
Jury selection was set to begin in the trial of 27-year-old Jamie Komoroski, who police said numbered more than 1,000 three times the legal limit when she crashed into a golf cart with newlyweds Samantha Miller, 34, and her groom, Aric Hutchinson, 36, on their wedding night, killing Miller.
A judge sentenced Komoroski to 25 years in prison after she pleaded guilty to one felony count of driving under the influence, two counts of driving under the influence causing serious bodily injury or death, and one count of reckless homicide. WCSC reported.
When questioned about her decision to plead guilty to the charges, Komoroski told the court she was guilty, was not persuaded to enter the guilty pleas and waived a jury trial.
SOUTH CAROLINA FAMILY BRIDE KILLED ON HER WEDDING NIGHT RECEIVES $1.3M SETTLEMENT
Jame Lee Komoroski pleaded guilty in the DUI crash that killed bride Samantha Miller and seriously injured groom Aric Hutchinson on the couple’s wedding night. The couple leaves their South Carolina wedding reception under a canopy of sparklers just minutes before the clash. (Charleston County Sheriff’s Office/GoFundMe)
“I feel like the sentence fits the crime,” Hutchinson told WCSC after the sentencing. ‘I really 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 injuries. So that will certainly take some time.’
Investigators say Komoroski was driving 65 mph in a 25 mph zone on April 28, 2023, when she crashed her rental car into 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 and multiple broken bones his face and brain injuries.
Hutchinson, along with Miller’s family, spoke in court Monday about the void Komoroski left them.
Jamie Komoroski, left, admitted to Samantha Miller’s fatal crash on her wedding night. (Folly Beach Public Safety, Jamie Komoroski/Instagram, SC 9th Judicial Circuit)
“Do you know what it’s like to promise 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 recalled.
Lisa Miller, the mother of the deceased bride, described in court the pain she suffered and relived the last time she hugged her daughter, which was during a dancing at the wedding reception just hours before the fatal crash.
Aric Hutchinson and Samantha Miller’s wedding on Folly Beach, South Carolina. (Facebook)
Komoroski addressed the Miller and Hutchinson families, saying she was willing to receive whatever sentence the judge deemed appropriate for her choices.
“I am sincerely and deeply sorry. I take full responsibility for my actions,” Komoroski said. “I will carry this guilt and take full responsibility for the rest of my life.”
In June, a South Carolina judge signed a $1.3 million partial settlement to the victims’ families as a result of a wrongful death lawsuit Hutchinson filed against Komoroski.
The lawsuit alleges that Komoroski had a “booze-filled day of bar hopping” and that the establishments she visited that day had an obligation to “exercise due diligence” in serving alcoholic beverages.
The bars that served Komoroski before the crash and the car rental company she used will participate in the seven-figure prize.
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Several of the companies named in the lawsuit have reached settlements with Hutchinson, which would net the parties involved $863,000 after fees, WCSC reported.
Hutchinson’s lawyer, Danny Dalton, said the amount was lower than expected because of an ongoing property dispute between Hutchinson and the murdered bride’s mother, who has disputed whether the couple were legally married.
