A man who tragically lost his wife on their wedding day is now awake after suffering serious injuries from the accident - and is planning her funeral.
As previously reported, a newlywed couple was celebrating their marriage in South Carolina before tragedy struck on what was supposed to be the happiest day of their lives.
Samantha "Sam" Hutchinson, 34, and her new spouse Aric Hutchinson tied the knot on Friday (April 28) and left their reception at 10:00 PM after celebrating with family and friends at Folly Beach.
Shortly after getting into the golf cart that was intended to take the couple from their venue, they were suddenly rear-ended by a suspected drunk driver which caused the vehicle to be thrown more than 100 yards.
As reported by Fox News, the driver of the car has been named as 25-year-old Jamie Lee Komoroski, and she was arrested and charged with DUI involving death and reckless homicide. She was allegedly under the influence of alcohol when the tragic incident occurred.
More details of the heartbreaking events were shared on the GoFundMe page set up by Aric's mother, Annette.
"Aric lost the love of his life when my new daughter-in-law Samantha 'Sam' Hutchinson was tragically killed by a drunk driver moments after the picture above while leaving her wedding reception on April 28th in Folly Beach, South Carolina. My son is now in critical condition," the mom wrote.
She went on to explain that her son-in-law Benjamin Garrett and grandson Brogan Garrett were also involved in the accident which saw the golf cart get hit at "65 mph" (104 km/h) in a 40 km/h zone.
Annette initially wrote that Sam passed away from her injuries while Aric was in critical condition and had to have "two reconstruction surgeries" after sustaining "numerous broken bones, and a brain injury".
On May 8, Annette provided an update on the fundraiser page - which amassed $702,713 from the original $100,000 goal - and clarified that the groom suffered "multiple injuries," including two broken legs - with one having to be surgically repaired.
Alongside that, Aric also had "broken bones in his face which also had to be surgically repaired [and a] broken vertebrae’s in his back, brain bleeds, and numerous cuts with stitches".
Annette added that her son is now "physically recovering" at home while he comes to terms with the painful loss of his wife and is now planning the funeral along with her family.
In addition to this, the mother of the bride, Lisa Miller, revealed to WCIV that her daughter's final words to her were "I wished this night could go on forever".
Furthermore, Sam's family has turned their attention to raising awareness about drunk driving, stating: "That person made a careless mistake. And it's not a mistake. It is a life-changing event."
Our thoughts continue to be with family and friends affected by this devastating incident.
