The husband of a bride who tragically lost her life on their wedding night in a suspected DUI crash in South Carolina has been awarded just over $1.3 million in a partial settlement, as per court documents.
Aric Hutchinson and his wife, Samantha Miller, were struck by an alleged drunk driver following their reception in Folly Beach, South Carolina, on April 28, 2023. Tragically, Miller passed away in the incident, while Hutchinson sustained multiple injuries.
A judge granted Hutchinson approximately $1.3 million from several entities, including Folly Beach Deli/The Drop In Bar & Deli, The Crab Shack, Beach Front Bars, Snapper Jacks, Progressive Northern Insurance Company, and Enterprise Rent-A-Car, as outlined in the wrongful death settlement filed on June 19 in the Charleston County Court. These establishments are alleged to have served alcohol to the driver, and Enterprise rented her the vehicle.
Additionally, Hutchinson filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Jamie Lee Komoroski, the individual accused of crashing a rented vehicle into a golf cart carrying Hutchinson and his late wife after they departed from their wedding reception. Komoroski faces charges of reckless homicide and felony DUI resulting in great bodily harm; she has pleaded not guilty.
Efforts to obtain a comment on the lawsuit from Komoroski’s attorney have been unsuccessful thus far.
According to a report from the Folly Beach Police Department, Komoroski was found to have a blood alcohol content of 0.261%, significantly exceeding the legal limit of 0.08% in South Carolina.
The settlements total approximately $1.3 million, though the final amount received by Hutchinson will be reduced after attorney and legal fees are deducted, as per court documents.
The businesses involved have been directed to pay the following amounts:
- The Crab Shack - $640,000
- The Folly Deli/The Drop In Bar & Deli - $320,000
- Beach Front Bars/Snapper Jack’s - $320,000
- Progressive Northern Insurance Company - $75,000
- Enterprise Rent-A-Car - $24,000
The partial settlement approval did not include any findings or admission of wrongdoing by the parties involved.
