A woman who admitted to drinking and who was driving well over twice the speed limit when she smashed into a golf cart, killing a bride who had just got married at a South Carolina beach, was sentenced on Monday to 25 years in prison.
Jamie Lee Komoroski, 27, pleaded guilty at the Charleston county courthouse to reckless homicide, felony DUI causing death and two counts of felony DUI causing great bodily injury before her sentencing.
Police said she drank in several bars on 28 April 2023 and was driving 65mph on a narrow Folly Beach road with a speed limit of 25mph when she slammed into the golf cart, which was leaving a wedding.
The bride, 34-year-old Samantha Miller, died still wearing her wedding dress. The groom suffered a brain injury and numerous broken bones. The cart was thrown 100 yards (91 meters) by the crash.
The groom, Aric Hutchinson, will receive $863,300 in a financial settlement connected to the wreck, according to reports from June. Hutchinson has spoken about losing his wife, describing her as an “amazing human being who should never have been taken”.
In an interview with ABC, he broke down as he struggled to recall the incident. “The last thing I remember her saying is she wanted the night to never end,” Hutchinson told Good Morning America (GMA).
“I’m still trying to wrap my head around it. That night going from an all-time high to an all-time low, it’s pretty tough to try to comprehend,” said Hutchinson on GMA, but declined to comment on Komoroski.
After pleading guilty, Komoroski said she realized now she was addicted to alcohol and did not care how her actions affected others. She promised to spend the rest of her life helping addicts and warning of the dangers of drinking and driving. She said she was “devastated, deeply ashamed and sorry” for what she did.
“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.
Before the sentencing, Miller’s father told Komoroski he was disgusted that she appeared to never take responsibility. He told her she could apologize, but he would not listen to a word.
“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,” Brad Warner said. “You have ruined so many people’s lives.”
Komoroski, 27, pleaded guilty at the Charleston county courthouse to reckless homicide, felony DUI causing death and two counts of felony DUI causing great bodily injury.
The bride’s mother had previously lashed out at Komoroski, saying she made “a conscious choice” that turned deadly.
“It wasn’t an accident,” Lisa Miller said to Fox News. “This person chose to drink, get behind the wheel and plow down my daughter. This is a conscious choice that a young lady made.”
The Guardian contributed reporting
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