The mother of the bride, Samantha Miller, was just unwinding with a change of clothing and a glass of wine on the balcony of her Folly Beach, South Carolina, vacation rental when the sound of sirens signaled that something was amiss with her daughter’s wedding night.
Within minutes, Lisa Miller was riding with her in-laws to the South Carolina beach road where, according to authorities, a woman driving under the influence at twice the speed limit collided with a golf cart escorting a newlywed couple away from their sparkler-filled farewell at a reception overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.
“She was surrounded by her loved ones. Lisa Miller stated that her daughter’s visage was illuminated in a manner that she was unable to describe. “As evidenced by the glow emanating from her face, she was ecstatic.”
A day that began blissfully with charcuterie and mimosas on the seashore ended in agony outside a hospital where she had been falsely informed that her daughter had been taken. Then, according to Lisa Miller, she discovered that the groom had identified the body at the crash site.
Samantha Miller, 34, perished wearing her wedding gown on Friday in Folly Beach, South Carolina. Aric Hutchinson is recovering from a brain injury and numerous fractured bones after being thrown 100 yards by a golf cart. Two additional passengers reportedly sustained injuries of varying severity.
Samantha Miller had asked the DJ at the wedding reception to make a surprise announcement for a dance with “the most important person in the bride’s life.” Mom and daughter were soon swaying to Bruno Mars’ “Just the Way You Are”
This action exemplified the Charlotte, North Carolina native’s positive character, according to her mother.
“She never met a stranger. She wished to ensure that everyone was cared for. “She never wants anyone to be sad or angry,” said Lisa Miller. Sam does not wish for this to ruin our lives. We are aware.”
She and her daughter, Mandi Jenkins, are now urging drivers to reconsider how a split-second decision to get behind the wheel while intoxicated can have enduring effects on a “real family” such as theirs. She directed intoxicated ride-seekers to applications such as Uber and Lyft.
Jamie Komoroski, age 25, has been charged with negligent vehicular homicide and three counts of driving while intoxicated resulting in death or serious bodily injury. According to a police affidavit obtained by CBS News, Komoroski told a responding officer that she had ingested one beer and one tequila-containing drink approximately one hour prior to the collision. The affidavit states that when asked how incapacitated she was on a scale of 1 to 10, Komoroski stated that she was a “8.” She allegedly declined a field sobriety test and “became uncooperative on the scene.”
The affidavit states that after Komoroski was transported to police headquarters, a magistrate issued a warrant for a blood sample, and two vials of blood were collected and sent to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division in Columbia for analysis.
Lisa Miller stated, “We hope that whoever sees this will help someone who has made poor decisions in the past stop or never make them again by seeing that real people are affected.”
The tragedy has brought traffic safety to the forefront in a community that has recently taken steps to reduce speeding. In 2018, residents of Folly Beach successfully lobbied the South Carolina Department of Transportation to reduce the speed limit from 30 to 25 miles per hour.
State Representative Spencer Wetmore, the municipal administrator at the time, told the Associated Press on Tuesday that a “horrific tragedy” has “completely broken my heart.”
In the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, Lisa Miller expressed her desire to leave and never return to the beach town where her daughter’s next chapter was due to begin. Since then, however, she has been encouraged by the outpouring of support from the surrounding community.
Lisa Miller and Jenkins have received dinner delivery for the past few evenings. A real estate agent found them a free oceanfront condo where they will spend the next month.
The injured groom will require “considerable assistance.”
Now, Lisa Miller wishes to relocate there to be surrounded by “good-hearted, genuinely caring people.” The two emphasized their desire to assist Hutchinson during his recovery.
“When he leaves the hospital, the situation will not be resolved. “He will require substantial physical and emotional support,” Jenkins said. “And we will be there for him, too.”
Annette Hutchinson, the mother of the betrothed, created a GoFundMe page to pay for the funeral of her daughter-in-law and her son’s medical expenses. It included a photograph of the newlyweds sprinting through sparklers prior to the accident.
She wrote, “Aric’s wedding ring was handed to me in a plastic bag at the hospital five hours after Sam placed it on his finger and they exchanged their vows.” “Aric has lost the greatest love of his life.”
As of Wednesday morning, the GoFundMe page had received more than $580,000 in donations.
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