The lady will spend decades behind bars for her role in the drunk driving accident in South Carolina that killed Samantha Miller, a newlywed bride, on her wedding night in 2023 and injured the groom and multiple others.
On Monday, Jamie Komoroski entered a guilty plea to two charges of reckless homicide leading in death, felony DUI resulting in death, and felony DUI resulting in grave bodily injury. On the evening of April 28, 2023, she was driving her vehicle past Folly Beach, an island settlement where 36-year-old Aric Hutchinson and 34-year-old Samantha Miller were married.
Benjamin Garrett, Hutchinson’s brother-in-law, and his 17-year-old son, Brogan Garrett, had transported the newlyweds out of the celebration in a golf cart. Miller was killed and Hutchinson and the other two passengers were badly injured when Komoroski, then 25 years old, crashed her Toyota Camry into the golf cart while traveling at 65 mph in a 25 mph zone.
Komoroski had a blood alcohol content of.261, more than three times the legal limit, according to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. According to the police, she refused to take a breathalyzer test at the scene of the collision. Three felony DUI charges and one count of reckless murder with death were brought against her.
Komoroski was sentenced on Monday to 25 years plus $10,100 for felony DUI leading in death, 15 years plus $5,100 for two counts of felony DUI resulting in grave bodily injury, and 10 years in the state department of corrections plus $5,000 for reckless murder. With credit for time served, the judge decided that the sentences should be served concurrently.
It is expected that she will serve 25 years in prison.
Shortly before the trial was set to start, Komoroski’s plea was made public. Her defense lawyer contended that punishment was appropriate and that this was meant to demonstrate her remorse for her actions.
Associated coverage:Following Komoroski’s appeal, Lisa Miller, Samantha Miller’s mother, spoke. She started off by saying that she was a counselor who had experience working with clients who were abusing substances and that facing the inevitable repercussions of their actions was the only way for them to improve. Miller continued by vividly recalling what was supposed to be one of her daughter’s best days—her last day of life.
The next speaker, Samantha Miller’s sister Mandy Jenkins, seemed upset when she mentioned that her mother had threatened suicide in the past if one of her children died. Mandy claimed that after Samantha passed away, she had to force her mother to vow not to proceed.
She said that she and her husband moved from Florida to North Carolina to be nearer to her mother, highlighting how the horrific tragedy altered the lives of numerous others.
Miller’s biological father, Bradley Warner, also spoke, recounting how he was a youngster in a hit-and-run accident when many people suspected a drunk driver was at fault.
He said, “I woke up every day for 57 years hating this person.” hated. I would hate someone I didn’t even know every morning when I woke up.
He told his daughter that he would pardon the driver six months before to Samantha’s wedding. A thousand-pound burden was removed from my shoulders, he said. I thought I could soar.
That anger has returned with a fury, he sobbed six months later. Never in my life have I felt so heavy.
At last, he turned to Komoroski and faced her head-on.
He informed me that I would detest you for the rest of my life. And I’ll open the door for you when you go to Hell once I get there.
Komoroski watched, listened, and wept as other victims’ families spoke.
As he drives, Brogan Garrett, who was 17 when he was on the golf cart that Komoroski tore apart, said how the experience still haunts him.
At the wedding that night, his father, Benjamin Garrett, was the only driver of the golf cart. Before describing how he woke up in the emergency room and heard Aric Hutchinson screaming and wailing in agony next to him, he thanked the first responders who had saved his life.
Nineteen months after the catastrophe, Aric Hutchinson talked about the physical pain he was still feeling. However, he added that he couldn’t stop thinking about his final moments with his wife, when she expressed her desire for the evening to continue.
He wiped away his tears and whispered, “I wish more than anything that it was me instead of Sam.” I wish I had passed away that evening to spare her from having to go alone.
“I wish I saw you coming,” he said, turning to Komoroski. Hutchinson described the occurrence as horrifying and said that it was a miracle that no one was killed that night. However, he also mentioned that his guilt over surviving rather than his wife plagued him every day.
He quoted a line from Samantha’s wedding vows, which she had spoken hours before she passed away, to wrap up his speech.
Today, tomorrow, and until the day I die, I will always love you. He remembered, “I am yours forever.” Hours before you killed her, that is.
In their defense, Komoroski’s family and supporters emphasized that she had been remorseful since her imprisonment and presented her as an alcoholic in active, diligent recovery, pointing to her participation in Alcoholics Anonymous.
Before being sentenced, Komoroski finally made the decision to speak for herself.
“I decided to drink and drive,” she said, her voice trailing off. I have never made a worse choice in my life than this one.
She turned to the families of Miller and Hutchinson to express her sincere apologies. She promised to live the rest of my life with deep regret for what transpired that night, even though she acknowledged that no apology could undo the disaster.
She said, “I accept full responsibility for the tragic result of my decisions.” For the rest of my life, this guilt will be with me.
She expressed her regret to the relatives of the victims once again as she wrapped off her speech, saying, “I accept full responsibility for my actions.” Although I am aware that forgiveness must be earned, I still hope that one day you will be able to pardon me. Please know that I will always be heartbroken, extremely embarrassed, and deeply sorry for what I have done, regardless of whether that day ever comes.
At the scene of the accident, Komoroski was characterized by many witnesses as bewildered and confused. She allegedly told police, “I was driving, and then all of a sudden something hit me.” A witness claimed that Komoroski repeatedly said, “I want my boyfriend, I want to go home, what happened, and I did nothing wrong,” according to the incident report.
The Charleston County Sheriff’s Office released a series of damaging jailhouse conversations made by Komoroski in May after he was placed in the Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center. They subsequently declared the release to be incorrect and submitted a request for a clawback, claiming that making the calls public might jeopardize anyone’s life or physical security.
During the chats, Komoroski made remarks that negatively portrayed her.
She yelled out, “I can’t believe this is my life and my entire life is going to be over.” Oh my God was one of the other statements. I’m still in shock about what happened to me. Why me? I ll be here for years and years and years ; and But I wanted to make sure I could say an apology, and they indicated I would be able to do so.
Evidently, she also called the collision a weird accident.
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