A husband is now planning his wife's funeral after she was killed on their wedding day.
On 28 April, 2023, on what was meant to be one of the happiest days of Aric Hutchinson and Samantha Leigh (Miller) Hutchinson's lives, tragedy struck.
Hours after saying 'I do' and just moments after leaving the wedding venue in Folly Beach, South Carolina, Samantha, 34, was 'taken from this world abruptly' as a result of 'a reckless drunk driver' who slammed into the golf cart she was riding in.
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A GoFundMe page has been started by Aric's mother Annette to pay for Samantha's funeral, alongside the medical expenses for Aric and other family members Benjamin Garrett and Brogan Garrett.
An update uploaded to the page yesterday (Monday, 8 May), details how the accident saw Aric left with 'multiple injuries including two broken legs, one which had to be surgically repaired; broken bones in his face which also had to be surgically repaired; broken vertebrae’s in his back; brain bleeds, and numerous cuts with stitches'.
Aric has since been allowed home from the hospital where he will physically recover while also 'trying to come to terms with the loss of his beautiful wife'.
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"Now he is doing the unimaginable of planning Sam’s funeral along with her family," his mum explains.
Aric's mum notes Ben is still 'recovering in the burn unit where he underwent surgery to clean out and redress his severe road rash and open wounds'.
"Plastic surgeons also addressed his facial stitches and some on his hands. He will need another skin graft back home in Utah at some point. He needs to be able to put weight on his legs, and his wounds to start healing before he can return home," the post reads.
The fourth passenger in the golf buggy, Brogan, 'thankfully [...] only suffered minor injuries'.
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Annette continues: "We truly believe a guardian angel was with him that night. Our hope is that with love and support he can get through the trauma of having been involved in this horrific accident at 17.
"All three are being incredibly strong despite the pain they are suffering."
The driver of the vehicle which crashed into the golf buggy has since been named as 25-year-old Jamie Komoroski.
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Komoroski's vehicle is reported as having been going 40mph over the speed limit at the time of the crash - the vehicle in a 25mph zone, but reported as travelling 65mph.
Komoroski has been charged with one count of reckless vehicular homicide and three counts of felony driving under the influence (DUI) resulting in death and/ or great bodily injury.
At the time of writing, the GoFundMe has raised over $600,000. You can donate here.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677
Topics: Money, News, Sex and Relationships, US News
Poppy Bilderbeck