A groom whose bride was killed moments after leaving the pair's wedding reception has received a $1.3 million settlement.
Aric Hutchinson, 37, and Samantha Miller, 34, from South Carolina, were involved in a tragic car accident on the night of April 28, 2023, when a drunk driver hit their vehicle just hours after the couple exchanged vows and celebrated a massive milestone in their relationship.
At the time, it was reported that the newlyweds were leaving their reception in Folly Beach on a golf cart that was going to take them home from the venue.
However, a little while into their journey, they were struck by a drunk driver, who was said to have been three times over the legal limit.
The impact killed Samantha immediately while critically injuring Aric as well as two other people.
In the days following, a GoFundMe was set up by Aric's mom, Annette, who took to the description section to reveal further horrific details of the crash which claimed the life of her new daughter-in-law.
"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," Annette wrote.
She went on to add that her son-in-law Benjamin Garrett and her grandson Brogan Garrett were also involved in the accident.
Jamie Lee Komoroski, 26, was arrested and is now serving house arrest in an upscale enclave of Charleston, as per the Daily Mail.
Thankfully, the three others all managed to recover, though the pain of losing their loved one has completely changed their lives forever.
Aric filed a wrongful death lawsuit against multiple businesses and bars where he alleged that the companies allowed the 26-year-old to get "visibly intoxicated" before she crashed into the golf cart.
According to the outlet, two bars have settled up their share of the settlement as well as Hutchinson's Progressive policy and Enterprise Rent-a-Car, which had rented the SUV Komoroski was driving that night.
However, one of the companies, Taco Boy, which Komoroski had been an employee of for a short time, is fighting against the suit, stating that the 26-year-old was not at or served at the restaurant on the night of the crash despite the suit alleging that they had aided in "organizing, arranging and supervising an employee function/meeting knowing that excessive amounts of alcoholic beverages would be purchased for, served to, and/or consumed by the employees attending the function/meeting."
Aric, Samatha's parents, and the two others who were involved in the accident will now receive a payout of $1.3 million which will be split between them all.
As for Komoroski, she was indicted on one count of felony DUI resulting in death, two counts of felony DUI resulting in great bodily injury, and one count of reckless homicide.
If found guilty, she may be hit with a fine of up to $25,000 as well as a mandatory one-year prison sentence with a maximum sentence of 25 years.
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