a south carolina A woman accused of killing her bride on her wedding night in a drunk-driving crash last April has pleaded guilty as her trial is scheduled to begin on Monday.
Jury selection is scheduled to begin in the trial of Jamie Komorowski, 27, who crashed into a golf cart carrying newlywed Samantha Miller, 34, and groom Aric Hutchinson, 36. Ta. Police said the defendant had more than three times the legal limit. On their wedding night, Miller was killed.
The judge found Komorowski guilty of one count of felony drunk driving, two counts of driving under the influence causing serious bodily injury or death, and one count of reckless homicide and sentenced him to 25 years in prison. WCSC reported.
Asked about his decision to plead guilty, Komorowski told the court he was guilty, had not been persuaded to enter a guilty plea and would waive a jury trial.
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Jame Lee Komorowski has pleaded guilty to a drunk driving crash that killed bride Samantha Miller and seriously injured groom Aric Hutchinson on their wedding night. The couple were photographed leaving a South Carolina wedding reception under a canopy of sparklers minutes before the crash. (Charleston County Sheriff's Office/GoFundMe)
“I think the punishment fits the crime,” Hutchinson told WCSC after the sentencing. “I think she's sorry. But it doesn't change the fact that Sam isn't here, my wife isn't here, we don't have the family we were planning, we're hurt. . So it will certainly take some time.”
Investigators say on April 28, 2023, Komorowski was driving 105 mph in a 25 mph zone when she crashed her rental car into Miller and her husband as they were leaving a reception in Folly Beach, South Carolina.
Mr. Miller died from his injuries, and Mr. Hutchinson suffered broken legs, multiple facial fractures, and a brain injury.
Hutchinson, along with Miller's family, spoke in court Monday about the void Komorowski left in their family.
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Jamie Komorowski (left) has admitted to the fatal crash that killed Samantha Miller on her wedding night. (Folly Beach Public Safety, Jamie Komorowski/Instagram, South Carolina 9th Judicial Circuit)
“Do you know what it's like to swear to protect your wife, do nothing, and hours later lose her?” Hutchinson asked Komorowski.
“She said she didn't want the night to end, so I kissed her on the forehead, and the next thing I remember was waking up in the hospital,” Hutchinson recalled.
Lisa Miller, the mother of the deceased bride, told the court of her pain and memories of holding her daughter for the last time as they danced at a wedding reception hours before the accident.
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Aric Hutchinson and Samantha Miller's wedding in Folly Beach, South Carolina. (Facebook)
Mr. Komorowski addressed Mr. Miller and Mr. Hutchinson's families and said he was prepared to take whatever punishment the judge deemed fit.
“I deeply regret it. I take full responsibility for my actions,” Komorowski said. “I will carry this guilt for the rest of my life and take full responsibility.”
Back in June, a South Carolina judge agreed to pay a $1.3 million partial settlement to the victim's family stemming from a wrongful death lawsuit brought by Hutchinson against Komorowski. .
The complaint alleges that Komorowski had a “drink-filled day bar hopping” and that the establishments she visited that day had a duty to “exercise reasonable care” in serving alcoholic beverages. There is.
The bar that served Komorowski before the accident and the car rental company she used will be competing for a seven-figure award.
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Several of the companies named in the lawsuit have settled with Hutchinson, which will net the parties $863,000 after fees, WCSC reported.
Mr Hutchinson's lawyer, Danny Dalton, said the amount could not be determined due to an ongoing estate dispute between Mr Hutchinson and the mother of his slain bride, who disputed whether they were legally married. He said it was less than expected.
