A groom from South Carolina, whose wife was killed on their wedding day by a suspected drunk driver, is sharing his story for the first time.
On the night of April 28th, a golf cart carrying four people was rear-ended by a suspected drunk driver near Charleston, South Carolina, killing 34-year-old Samantha Miller and severely injuring her husband, Aric Hutchinson, as well as two others. The couple had just celebrated their wedding earlier that day.
“There’s something special about Sam. She’s one of those people that walks in a room and just lights it up,” said Hutchinson.
Hutchinson spoke with Good Morning America in his first interview since the tragic accident that killed his wife, sharing how he’s coping with the immense loss after what he described as a perfect day.
“I’m still trying to wrap my head around it. Going from great happiness to extreme sadness in the same night, it’s really hard to comprehend,” said Hutchinson.
According to a GoFundMe campaign created by Hutchinson’s mother, he suffered fractures in both legs, parts of his face, and his back, as well as brain hemorrhages and numerous cuts in the accident. The other two people in the golf cart with Hutchinson and Miller suffered injuries including severe burns and open wounds, according to ABC affiliate WCIV in Charleston.
Hutchinson said he doesn’t remember the accident, but he does remember the last thing his wife said to him.
“I do remember the last thing she said was she didn’t want the night to end,” said Hutchinson, adding that the next thing he remembers was waking up in the hospital room and asking, “Where’s Sam?”
The driver of the vehicle that collided with the golf cart, 25-year-old Jamie Komoroski, was arrested and charged with three counts of DUI causing great bodily injury/death and one count of reckless homicide. According to a police report released by the Folly Beach Public Safety Department, Komoroski was allegedly driving 65 miles per hour in a 25 mph zone when the accident occurred. According to the toxicology report, Komoroski’s blood alcohol level was more than three times the legal limit.
A lawyer for Komoroski issued a statement after her arrest, saying, “We cannot imagine what the families are going through and extend our sincerest condolences. We simply ask that people not rush to judgment. Our judicial system is based on principles of justice and mercy, and that is where all the facts will come to light.”
On Wednesday, Hutchinson filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Komoroski and several local bars and restaurants where she allegedly consumed alcohol on the night of the accident. Komoroski’s employer and supervisor were also named in the lawsuit and accused of “pressuring” her to attend an event and consume “excessive amounts of alcoholic beverages” that night, according to the lawsuit.
Komoroski’s employer issued a statement claiming there was no “official company function related to alcohol consumption” and that Komoroski had just started her training for the job.
Hutchinson said he’s not ready to face Komoroski just yet.
“I can’t do it right now,” he said. “I’d like to. I mean, she took an amazing person that shouldn’t have been taken.”
For now, he said he’s focused on his recovery and trying to hold onto happy memories with Sam. He’s returned to the third-floor apartment they shared and said he can still feel her presence.
“It’s hard, but also comforting. Everything in the house has Sam’s mark on it,” he said. “I know she’s up there watching, laughing at me as I try to go up and down these stairs, because it was her decision to go to the third floor.”
Originally posted at Liga Legal®
