Jamie Lee Komoroski, the South Carolina driver who struck and killed a bride on her wedding night and seriously injured the groom, pleaded guilty on Monday to charges stemming from the April 2023 crash.
Just hours before her trial was set to begin, Komoroski admitted to one count of felony DUI, two counts of felony DUI with great bodily harm, and one count of reckless homicide. She was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
The tragic collision occurred as newlyweds Samantha “Sam” Miller, 34, and Aric Hutchinson were leaving their wedding reception in a golf-cart-style vehicle adorned with cans and a “Just Married” sign. Komoroski’s vehicle slammed into their cart, killing Miller and severely injuring Hutchinson. Two other passengers in the cart also sustained injuries.
Before sentencing, Judge Deadra L. Jefferson heard powerful statements from Miller’s family and Hutchinson, who shared the devastating impact the crash has had on their lives.
“She told me she didn’t want the night to end,” Hutchinson recalled of his final moments with his wife. “I kissed her on the forehead, and the next thing I remember is waking up in the hospital.”
Struggling to hold back tears, Hutchinson expressed his profound grief: “I wish more than anything that it had been me instead of Sam. I wish I had died that night so she didn’t have to go alone.”
Hutchinson also read a portion of the wedding vows he had spoken to Samantha just hours before her death: “I will love you today, tomorrow, and until I take my last breath on this earth. I am forever yours.”
Turning to Komoroski, he said, “That was hours before you killed her.”
Komoroski, then 25, had refused a field sobriety test at the scene of the crash. A court-ordered blood test revealed her blood alcohol level was 0.261%—more than three times the legal limit.
In court, Komoroski wiped away tears as Miller’s family shared their pain. Samantha’s mother, Lisa Miller, said, “We have been sentenced to a lifetime of pain. She was a light, she was loved, and she will always be my child.”
Samantha’s father, Brad Warner, expressed his anger and heartbreak: “You have ruined so many people’s lives, and I hope you understand what you did. For the rest of my life, I’m going to hate you. And when I arrive in hell and you come there, I’m going to open the gate for you.”
Dressed in a black suit, Komoroski addressed the court, saying, “This is the worst decision I have ever made in my life, and it has affected the lives of so many.”
She continued, “I take full responsibility for the tragic outcome that my decisions have made. I will carry this guilt with me for the rest of my life.”
Judge Jefferson accepted her non-negotiated plea, sentencing Komoroski to 25 years in prison, with credit for time served.