The husband of a bride who was killed by a drunk driver has been seen for the first time since the accident at a memorial near the beach where she was killed.
Aric Hutchinson and his wife Samantha, 36, celebrated their nuptials moments before they gave birth on April 28 in Folly Beach, South Carolina.
Jamie Lee Komoroski, 25, allegedly crashed his car into the golf buggy carrying the bride and groom, sending him flying 100 yards and flipping over several times – killing Hutchinson and seriously injuring her new husband.
“We walk here almost every morning, and that’s his send off for sure. She’s up there smiling for sure.
Newlyweds Miller and Hutchinson were pictured beaming as they celebrated their wedding at Folly Beach on April 28
Pictured: Aric with a bandaged leg over the weekend with family and friends as they celebrate the life of his late wife
A number of those celebrating his life also had a memorial surfer paddle down the beach
Aric continued, “I feel pretty good. My body is coming back to where I can handle myself.
“It’s kind of overwhelming, it’s sincere, genuine, good-hearted people just reaching out who felt a reason to, or somehow they were touched by Sam.
‘It just means the world. She left that impact.
Heartbreaking footage showed the happy couple moments before tragedy struck, beaming as they were waved at by their guests with sparklers.
Driving a rental Toyota Camry, Komoroski was traveling at 65mph in a 25mph zone, along a poorly lit residential street when the fatal crash occurred.
Komoroski’s blood alcohol level at the time of the incident was .261 at the time of the incident.
Komoroski reportedly told responding officers following the crash: “Suddenly something hit me. I did nothing wrong.’
Aric Hutchinson at the memorial to his wife, Sam, in Folly Beach in South Carolina on Saturday
Aric had to undergo reconstructive surgery before he was finally released earlier this week
Hutchinson (right) was left with ‘two broken legs, one which had to be surgically repaired
The low-speed vehicle that Samantha and Aric were in. Its broken seat and broken wheel axles give some idea of the force of the deadly crash
Jamie Lee Komoroski’s crashed sedan, which ABC4 says has pieces of Samantha Hutchinson’s wedding dress embedded in its bumper
The couple were married in Folly Beach, South Carolina just before the crash
Jamie Komoroski, 25, has been charged with three counts of DUI felony causing grievous bodily harm or death and one count of reckless homicide
Komoroski allegedly admitted having had two drinks an hour before the smash: a beer and a pineapple tequila cocktail, the New York Post reported.
Aric suffered multiple injuries, including two broken legs, and was released from hospital to recover at home last week.
Last week, Samantha Lisa Miller’s mother told Fox News: ‘It was no accident this person chose to drink, drive and shoot my daughter. It’s insane.
“It was a conscious choice a young woman made to get behind the wheel.”
sergeant. Zac Halpern of the Folly Beach Police reported that he asked Komoroski how drunk she was on a scale of one to 10, and she mumbled that she was an eight before asking for a lawyer.
OOfficers responding to the scene attempted to administer a sobriety test to her, but she refused, crying out for her boyfriend.
Police noted that she appeared to be trying to hide her eyes from them.
Komoroski was the sole occupant of the vehicle and was charged with three counts of DUI felony causing grievous bodily harm or death and one count of reckless homicide.
Those who gathered on the beach in South Carolina also left red flowers in memory of Samantha
Samantha and Aric are pictured on Folly Beach, hours before the accident which would kill the bride and seriously injure her husband
The Charleston County Coroner’s Office confirmed that Miller died at the scene from blunt force injuries sustained in the crash. The couple are pictured together here
The couple were celebrating their wedding when the incident happened
The logistics account manager is still being held at Al Cannon Sheriff’s Detention Facility and is due in court in connection with the June incident.
She could face up to 25 years in prison for the death of the bride, as well as a fine of up to $25,100, and an additional 15 years and $10,100 for the serious injuries caused to the men in the buggy.
For the reckless killing, she could face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000 – as well as having her license revoked for five years upon her release.
A GoFundMe page as burial and medical costs have now reached over $720,000.
