FOLLY BEACH, S.C. — A bride leaving her wedding reception in South Carolina was killed and the groom was critically injured on Friday when the golf cart the newlyweds were riding in was rear-ended by a woman deputies said was driving under the influence, authorities said.
Samantha “Sam” Miller Hutchinson, 34, of Charlotte, North Carolina, was one of four passengers in the golf cart and died at the scene, WSOC-TV reported. The groom, Aric Hutchinson, was in critical condition and suffering from a brain injury and multiple broken bones, according to WYFF-TV. According to his mother, Aric Hutchinson has had one reconstruction surgery and is scheduled for another one.
According to the Charleston County Detention Center website, Jamie Lee Komoroski, 25, was charged with reckless vehicular homicide and three counts of driving under the influence causing death. She faces one to 25 years in prison on each DUI count.
Their family said four people were in the vehicle when it was hit, causing it to roll over several times, WCIV reports. https://t.co/73yrqreK4y
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An investigation into the collision determined that Komoroski was traveling 65 mph when she allegedly struck the bridal party on Folly Island, south of Charleston, WCIV-TV reported. The speed limit on the island is 25 mph, The Associated Press reported.
Annette Hutchinson, who said on a GoFundMe page that she is the mother of the groom, stated that her son-in-law and grandson, who had traveled from Utah for the wedding, were escorting the newlyweds on a road in Folly Beach, an area south of Charleston, at about 10 p.m. EDT.
According to Folly Beach Public Safety Department Director Andrew Gilreath, the golf cart had lights and was legal to drive at night, the news organization reported.
Police are also referring to the golf cart as a low-speed vehicle (LSV), WCIV reported.
Annette Hutchinson wrote on the GoFundMe page that she was raising money to pay for her son’s medical bills and her daughter-in-law’s funeral. More than $263,000 has already been raised.
“I was handed Aric’s wedding ring in a plastic bag at the hospital, five hours after Sam placed it on his finger and they read each other their vows,” Annette Hutchinson wrote. “Aric has lost the love of his life.”
Komoroski remains in the Charleston County Detention Center without bail, online records show.
