Aric Hutchinson, 36, and Samantha “Sam” Miller, 34, had just said their “I do’s.” The couple wed at a beautiful ceremony in Folly Beach, South Carolina, on April 28, 2023. One-hundred and fifty guests were in attendance. Samantha told her sister, Mandi Jenkins, that she wished the night would never end. It was the best night of her life, she said.
Tragically, the couple’s union wouldn’t last for long.
Aric and Sam left their reception on a road-legal golf cart around 10 pm and headed back to their rental house. As Aric and Samantha rode on the back, they waved goodbye to their guests. Aric’s brother-in-law, Benjamin Garrett, drove the golf cart and was accompanied by his 17-year-old son, Brogan Garrett, in the passenger’s seat.
Suddenly and unexpectedly, a vehicle barreled into the back of the golf cart. It was traveling 65 miles per hour and directly impacted Aric and Samantha. The occupants were thrown more than 300 feet, nearly the length of a football field, and the cart rolled several times.
The driver of the vehicle, a grey rental Toyota Camry, was 25-year-old Jamie Lee Komoroski. Jamie was on her way home from an evening of barhopping on Center Street, Folly Beach’s main strip, and the only road to and from Folly Island. She suffered not a scratch, but was dazed and confused from the impact. Her blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was 0.261%, more than three times the legal limit.
Paramedics did what they could, but they couldn’t save Samantha. She was still clad in her wedding dress when she died. The day that Samantha looked forward to and spent so much time planning, was her last. Her and Aric spent mere moments together as husband and wife before he became a widow.
Aric was taken to the Medical University of South Carolina, where he was treated for two broken legs, broken bones in his face, broken vertebrae and a brain bleed. Benjamin was treated for severe road rash and open wounds, and Brogan suffered minor injuries.
Ongoing Efforts For Justice
While recovering in the hospital, Aric faced the tough task of preparing for his new wife’s funeral, which was held on May 13, 2023, two weeks after their wedding day. A few days later, he filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Jamie, who remains incarcerated in Charleston County Jail.
The wrongful death suit also involves several bars, which include the establishments that Jamie visited that day. Jaime was recently hired as a server at Taco Boy, a Mexican restaurant, and the eatery hosted a function earlier that day. Allegedly at this function, a Taco Boy supervisor coerced Jaime to drink alcohol. The lawsuits seeks damages on grounds of breach of duty, negligence, negligent infliction of emotional distress, reckless hiring and training, and wrongful death.
Aric blames the four establishments that Jaime visited that day for negligently serving an intoxicated guest. A South Carolina statue prohibits establishments with permits to sell alcoholic beverages from serving guests who are noticeably intoxicated.
The complaint states, ‘Despite being noticeably and visibly intoxicated at each of these establishments, Jamie Komoroski continued to be served, provided, and/or allowed to consume additional and excessive amounts of alcohol at each of them.’
Lisa Miller, Samantha’s mother, started a GoFundMe to help cover medical and burial costs. So far, more than $720,000 has been raised. In lieu of flowers, the family requested that donations be sent to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).
The Post-Wedding Collision Culprit: Jamie Lee Komoroski
Jamie Lee Komoroski, 25, is originally from Clinton, New Jersey. She moved to Charleston, South Carolina, to attend Coastal Carolina University from 2015 to 2020. She was a member of a sorority at her school, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in marketing and hotel resort tourism management. After graduation, she remained local. For the last two-and-a-half years, she worked as a logistics account executive for Total Quality Logistics, a truck transportation company.
Jamie spent the greater part of the evening barhopping on Friday, April 28, 2023. She started drinking at El Gallo Bar and Grill in Charleston, and then most likely drove to Center Street, where she visited The Drop In Bar & Deli, The Crab Shack and Snapper Jack’s. She left before 10 pm. Jaime lived in a one-story home with two roommates in James Island, a 19-minute drive from Folly Island.
When Jamie collided with the golf cart, she was traveling 65 mph in a 25 mph zone. She was also driving on Center Street, which is a dead-end that stops at the beach. It’s in an area known for its vacationers, which include children, families and bicyclists, and where legal golf carts are frequently driven.
Charges Pending
Jamie is being charged with three counts of driving under the influence (DUI) causing serious bodily injury/death and one count of reckless homicide. Jamie told police that she had one beer and one alcoholic beverage that contained tequila an hour before she drove. She was traveling the opposite way of traffic on a dead-end street when this occurred. She received no injuries, though her BAC was 0.216%.
Jamie repeatedly told police that she “did nothing wrong.” She refused to take a field sobriety test and become uncooperative on the scene. She demanded a lawyer and began calling out for her boyfriend, who was not present.
Jamie is being held without bail on suicide watch at the Charleston County Jail. If convicted, she faces up to 25 years in prison and a fine of up to $25,100 for Samantha’s death. She also faces an additional 15 years and a $10,100 fine injuring the other three passengers. For reckless homicide, she could face an additional 10 years in prison and a fine up to $5,000.
Remembering Samantha ‘Sam’ Miller
Right before she died, Samantha “Sam” Leigh Miller, 34, turned to her husband, Aric, and said, “I want this day, this evening, to last forever.” Samantha was the only fatality of the crash.
Originally from Charlotte, North Carolina, Samantha loved the beach. At her memorial service, Aric described her as “a beach girl.” She was born on March 27, 1989, to parents Lisa and David Miller. Her parents divorced when she was young and her mother remarried her stepfather, Brad Warner. Samantha has four siblings: Nathan and Joseph Miller, Mandi Jenkins and Jake Warner.
Samantha was a wife, daughter, sister, aunt, friend and cat mom.
She considered her mom as one of her best friends. On her wedding day, she surprised her mom with a dance to their song: Bruno Mars’ “Just The Way You Are.” The DJ introduced it as “a dance with the most important person in the bride’s life.”
She believed her husband, Aric, was her soulmate.
Samantha had a contagious smile, she loved to laugh and she exuded natural confidence. As her obituary reads, “She was a beautiful force to be reckoned with. It is impossible to fully capture just how unbelievably special she was.”
Scene of the Accident: Folly Beach
The fatal crash happened in Folly Beach, a city on Folly Island in South Carolina, just minutes outside of Charleston. Folly Island is a 12-square-mile region surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and the Folly River, and it’s home to six miles of beautiful beaches.
Folly Beach is a popular area for locals and tourists alike. Center Street, where Jamie was barhopping, has many surf and souvenir shops, and restaurants. Because of the amount of vacationers, pedestrians and children who frequent Folly Beach, the island has a maximum speed limit of 25 mph. It’s also legal to drive certain golf carts on the streets there.
Resources
- ‘She’s a beach girl’: Husband of bride killed by alleged drunk driver just moments after leaving wedding reception speaks at wife’s memorial – Law & Crime Network
- Jamie Lee Komoroski arrest affidavit
- Deceased bride Samantha Miller’s groom blames Folly Beach bars for fatal crash – The Post and Courier