A bride was tragically killed and her groom was injured after being struck by an alleged drunk driver after their wedding reception who is reportedly on suicide watch in jail.
Samantha "Sam" Hutchinson, 34, and her new husband Aric Hutchinson were married on April 28, but what was supposed to be the happiest day of their life turned into a tragedy.
When exiting the wedding reception at around 10:00 PM, the golf cart that was taking them from the venue was struck by a suspected drunk driver.
Sam tragically lost her life due to the injuries she sustained, and Aric remains in a serious condition in the hospital, suffering from multiple broken bones and brain trauma.
The alleged drunk driver was named as 25-year-old Jamie Lee Komoroski who was arrested and charged with DUI involving death and reckless homicide, per CNN.
In an affidavit obtained by the New York Post, police reported that Komoroski was driving at 65 mph (104 km/h) and that she smelled of alcohol but refused to take a breath test.
The affidavit also revealed that the alleged drunk driver informed police that she'd had one beer and one shot of tequila before the incident.
When given the opportunity to rate how sober she was on a scale of one to 10, with 10 being completely sober, she gave herself an eight.
The 25-year-old has since been booked on suicide watch at Charleston County jail after she reportedly told an officer that she wished to take her own life.
Following the tragedy in South Carolina, a GoFundMe page was set up in order to fund the medical bills of those injured as well as cover funeral costs for Sam.
Since the creation of the page, over $550,000 has been raised by 15,000 donors, with well-wishers offering their condolences to the loved ones.
The page, created by Aric's mother Annette, described the incident: "Sam died from her injuries. Aric is in serious condition and has had one of two reconstruction surgeries, numerous broken bones, and a brain injury, he will have a long recovery."
Annette also described how her son-in-law Benjamin Garrett and grandson Brogan Garrett were also in the gold cart at the time of the incident, and Ben sustained serious injuries.
Heartbreakingly, Annette wrote: "I was handed Aric’s wedding ring in a plastic bag at the hospital, five hours after Sam placed it on his finger and they read each other their vows. Aric has lost the love of his life."
Our thoughts continue to be with those affected by this tragedy.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, please reach out for help and contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741, or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources.