DUI driver admits to crash that killed South Carolina bride on wedding night

Jamie Komoroski gets 25 years in prison for DUI crash that killed bride Samantha Miller on wedding night

A South Carolina woman pleaded guilty Monday to killing a bride in a DUI crash last April.

Jury selection was set to begin in the trial of Jamie Komoroski, 27, who police said was three times over the legal limit when she struck a golf cart carrying newlyweds Samantha Miller, 34, and her groom, Eric Hutchinson, 36, on their wedding night, killing Miller.

A judge sentenced Komoroski to 25 years in prison after she pleaded guilty to two counts of DUI causing serious bodily injury or death and one count of reckless homicide, WCSC reports.

When asked about her decision to plead guilty to the charges, Komoroski told the court she was guilty, she was not persuaded to plead guilty and she was waiving a jury trial.

“I think the punishment fits the crime,” Hutchinson told WCSC after the sentencing. “I think she’s sorry. However, that doesn’t change the fact that Sam’s not here, my wife’s not here, the family we planned, all of our injuries. So it’s definitely going to take some time to heal.”

Investigators say on April 28, 2023, Komoroski was going 65 mph in a 25 mph zone when she struck her rental car into Miller and her husband as they were leaving their reception in Folly Beach, South Carolina.

Miller died from her injuries, while Hutchinson suffered two broken legs, several broken bones in her face and brain injuries.

Hutchinson, along with Miller’s family, spoke before the court on Monday about the emptiness left by Komoroski.

“Do you know what it’s like to swear to protect your wife, do nothing for her and then lose her a few hours later?” Hutchinson asked Komoroski.

“She told me she didn’t want the night to end, and I kissed her forehead, and then the next thing I remember is waking up in the hospital,” Hutchinson recalled.

Lisa Miller, the mother of the deceased bride, told the court how much pain she felt and that the last time she hugged her daughter was during a dance at the wedding reception just hours before the fatal crash.

Komoroski addressed the Miller and Hutchinson families and said he was willing to suffer any punishment the judge deemed appropriate for his actions.

“I am truly and deeply sorry. I take full responsibility for my actions,” Komoroski said. “For the rest of my life I will carry this crime and take full responsibility.”