A widowed groom whose wife was tragically killed on their wedding day has recalled the moment he learned she had died.
As previously reported, 34-year-old Samantha "Sam" Hutchinson tied the knot with the love of her life Aric Hutchinson on April 28 this ear, in a beautiful wedding ceremony surrounded by friends and family at Folly Beach in South Carolina.
Just before leaving their wedding reception at 10:00 PM, the loving newlyweds were photographed beaming from ear to ear as they made their way to a golf cart to take them from the venue.
However, their happiness was heartbreakingly short-lived, as their golf cart was struck by an alleged drunk driver - who has since been named as 25-year-old Jamie Lee Komoroski.
Sam was devastatingly pronounced dead at the scene, with Aric being rushed to a hospital where he was discovered to be suffering from multiple broken bones and brain trauma. Following this, a GoFundMe page was set up in an effort to provide financial relief in the wake of Aric's skyrocketing medical costs, as well as to help fund his late wife's funeral.
Despite being created less than two weeks ago by Aric's mother Annette Hutchinson, close to 20,000 people have sent their condolences and sent in donations, which have reached a whopping $704,000.
This week, Aric spoke to Good Morning America about the horrific incident, and what had happened the moment he learned that his wife had passed away.
Recalling the love he had for his wife, Aric stated: "Sam's just got that glow. She's the type that walks in a room, and you notice," adding that: "I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. That night, going from an all-time high to an all-time low, it's pretty rough to try to comprehend."
The widowed groom then discussed the moment he learned that Sam had died, telling the outlet that he doesn't remember the crash, but remembers the last thing Sam told him. "I do remember the last thing I remember her saying was she wanted the night to never end," he said, before revealing that the next thing he remembered was waking up in the hospital room, asking for his wife.
"That's when [my mother] told me there's an incident and that Sam didn't make it," he recounted.
Also during the interview Aric spoke about his feelings towards Komoroski, the drunk driver who caused the crash. On Wednesday this week (May 17) he filed a wrongful death lawsuit against her and several bars and restaurants where she allegedly drank the night of the crash.
Both Komoroski's employer and supervisor were also mentioned in the lawsuit, and are also accused of "pressuring" her to attend a function and consume "excessive amounts of alcoholic beverages" the night of the accident. Though, Aric has said he is not ready to address Komoroski.
"I can't right now," he said. "I'd like to. I mean, she stole an amazing human being that should not have been taken."
Our thoughts are with Aric and Sam's family and friends at this tragic time.
