Dad of bride who was killed on wedding night made sinister promise in court to drunk driver responsible
The father of a woman who died in a car crash on her wedding day has issued a sinister promise to his daughter's killer.
28 April, 2023 was meant to be the happiest day of Samantha Miller and Aric Hutchinson's lives when they tied the knot by the sea in Folly Beach, South Carolina, US.
However, the couple's newly wedded bliss would end in tragedy just moments after the couple left the venue when a car slammed into the couple's golf cart.
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Aric would suffer serious injuries from the crash, which included broken bones and brain damage, while 34-year-old Samantha would lose her life. Relatives Benjamin and Brogan Garrett, who were also in the buggy at the time, also suffered injuries from the crash.
The car's driver was later identified as 27-year-old Jamie Lee Komoroski, who was found to have a blood-alcohol level of 0.26% - this is more than three times over the legal limit to drive in the state - and had been driving at 65 mph in a 25 zone.
She was subsequently arrested and charged with reckless vehicular homicide, felony DUI causing death and two counts of felony DUI resulting in great bodily injury.
Komoroski has since pleaded guilty to all charges and received a 25-year prison sentence for Samantha's death, as well as 15 years for the serious injuries caused to Hutchinson and 10 years for reckless homicide.
All three sentences will run at the same time.
Samantha's father Brad Warner spoke in court ahead of her sentencing, refusing to forgive his daughter's killer and issuing a sinister promise to her.
"The rest of my life I’m going to hate you and when I arrive in hell and you come there, I will open the door for you," he said to Komoroski. "You have ruined so many people’s lives."
Aric has also spoken about the sentencing, revealing to US news outlet WCSC that he believes 'the punishment fit the crime'.
"I do think she’s sorry," he said. "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 that’ll take some time for sure."
Meanwhile Komoroski, who had been drinking at several bars on the night in question, has since admitted to having an alcohol addiction at the time and said she was 'devastated, deeply ashamed and sorry' for causing Samantha's death.
"I wish I could go back and undo this terrible tragedy. But I cannot. I will live the rest of my life with intense regret for what happened that night," she said.
Brenna Cooper