Husband of Bride Killed in Alleged DUI Crash on Wedding Night in South Carolina Received Nearly $1 Million in Settlement

FOLLY BEACH, S.C. — The husband of a bride who died in a traffic accident on a South Carolina beach on her wedding night last year will receive a nearly $1 million settlement in connection with the crash, which was allegedly caused by a drunk driver.

The Post and Courier reported that Aric Hutchinson will receive approximately $863,300 from Folly Beach bars The Drop In Bar & Deli, the Crab Shack and Snapper Jacks; Progressive car insurance; and Enterprise Rent-A-Car, according to a settlement approved by Charleston County Circuit Court Judge Roger Young earlier this week.

Hutchinson sued the companies after driver Jamie Lee Komoroski crashed a rental vehicle into a golf cart he and his new bride, 34-year-old Samantha Miller, were riding in while away from their April 28, 2023, wedding reception.

The golf cart was thrown 100 yards. Miller died at the scene, still in her wedding dress. Hutchinson survived with brain injuries and multiple broken bones. Komoroski was driving 100 km/h on a 40 km/h road, the newspaper reported.

Hutchinson accused Komoroski in the wrongful death lawsuit of “swimming and staggering” through several bars around Folly Beach before speeding in her Toyota Camry with a blood alcohol concentration more than three times the legal limit.

The settlements amount to $1.3 million, but will total less after attorney and legal fees are paid.

Komoroski is out on bond as her case works its way through the legal system. In September, she was charged with driving under the influence causing death, reckless homicide and two counts of driving under the influence causing serious bodily injury.