The accused drunk driver, who crashed her car into the vehicle of newlyweds leaving the bride dead and the groom seriously injured in South Carolina, refused to take a field sobriety test after the crash. Jamie Komoroski, 25, also said that she had one beer and one shot of tequila an hour prior to the accident that killed 34-year-old Samantha Miler on Friday night.
The golf cart carrying Samantha and her husband Aric Hutchinson, 34, from their wedding venue in Folly Beach was rear-ended by a drunk Komoroski shortly after they left the reception around 10 pm on Friday, according to TV station WYFF 4, according to newly released affidavits.
Drunk, Reckless and Arrogant
Komoroski was “uncooperative” when the police asked her to take a field sobriety test, according to newly released affidavits from the officers who responded to the crash scene at Folly Beach, South Carolina.
However, when asked how impaired she was on a scale of 1 to 10, she replied that she was an 8.
Komoroski allegedly plowed into a golf cart carrying Samantha, her new husband Aric, and two relatives while driving a gray Toyota rental car shortly after the couple’s Folly Beach wedding reception.
According to investigators, Komoroski was driving a rented Toyota Camry at 65 mph when she braked right before crashing into the cart.
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Samantha of North Carolina died immediately after the collision. According to ABC News, Aric and one of his relatives sustained critical injuries, while a second relative’s condition was reported as stable.
Komoroski has been arrested and charged with three counts of felony DUI causing serious bodily harm or death and one case of reckless murder. A blood test was authorized by a warrant. Results are still awaited.
According to the affidavits, officers arrived to find the golf cart on its side and multiple people in need of assistance. Samantha died on the scene.
Even the Police in Shock
The recently unsealed police affidavits, obtained by WCBD, show the desperate attempts made by officers to save Samantha, Aric and another member of their bridal party after the golf cart they were riding in rolled multiple times over a 100-yard distance.
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The first officer on the scene reported seeing “a large crash scene with a golf cart on its side” and several victims lying among the debris on the 1200 block of East Ashley Avenue Around 10 pm.
He claimed that while treating the new bride was his top priority after everything else failed, he also helped Aric and another member of their wedding party, Garrett Hutchinson. The officer said that after assessing the injured persons, he focused on Komoroski, who had not been hurt in the crash.
Komoroski, a Logistics Account Executive, was described by the officer as having an alcoholic smell coming from her body and being unsteady on her feet.
According to the attending officer, she had problems even standing, and when asked to assess her level of impairment on a scale of one to 10, she said she was at level eight.
And when asked to perform a field sobriety test, the officer wrote “she strongly refused and became uncooperative.”
According to a GoFundMe page set up by his mother, Annette Hutchinson, Aric is still in critical condition. The groom has been in a critical state since the tragedy, and it is unclear if he is aware that his wife has died in the collision.
Annette said that Aric has already undergone one reconstruction surgery and will soon undergo another as well as suffering several fractured bones and brain damage.
“I was handed Aric’s wedding ring in a plastic bag at the hospital, five hours after Sam placed it on his finger and they read each other their vows,” the groom’s mother, Annette Hutchinson, wrote on a GoFundMe page, which identified the couple as victims of the collision.
“Aric has lost the love of his life,” she said.
“The couple made their home in both the groom’s home state of Utah and the state of South Carolina. The bride is from North Carolina.
Samantha’s employer, XenTegra, a global IT service firm in Huntersville, North Carolina, announced her death on LinkedIn and referred to her as an “integral member”
“She carried a light about her, one that shined so brightly upon everyone with whom she interacted. Simply put, Samantha brought an abundance of joy and laughter to the workplace,” the company wrote, noting she was a dedicated and detail-oriented worker who went above and beyond.
“But beyond her professional accomplishments, Samantha was a wonderful person. In the last several months, our team was able to join in her excitement as she shared photos and intricate details about her upcoming wedding,” the company wrote. “We will forever remember Samantha’s smile, her laughter, and her dedication to her work, friends, and family.”
The golf cart is a six-person, low-speed type with a top speed of 25 mph, and Andrew Gilreath, director of the Folly Beach Public Safety Department, claimed it is authorized to operate at night.
Komoroski, a Logistics Account Executive is still being held in the Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Facility, and a court appearance about the event is scheduled for June.
She may face up to 25 years in prison and a fine of up to $25,100 for the killing of the bride. She might also receive an additional 15 years and $10,100 for the grievous injuries she inflicted on the men in the buggy.
