The family of a South Carolina bride who was killed by a drunk driver on her wedding night has been awarded a $1.3 million settlement, according to WAFB.
In a case that garnered national attention, Samantha Miller was riding in a golf cart leaving her April 28, 2023, oceanside wedding when she, her new husband Aric Hutchinson, and two of Hutchinson’s family members were struck by a car being driven 65 miles per hour -- 40 miles over the speed limit, police said.
The driver, Jamie Lee Komoroski, was charged with reckless vehicular homicide and three counts of felony driving under the influence.
Lisa Miller had contested the validity of her daughter’s hours-old marriage to Hutchinson and petitioned a probate judge to remove Hutchinson as the personal representative of his wife’s estate, citing “issues of potential fraud” and “conflicts of interests,” The Post and Courier reported.
Hutchinson filed a wrongful death lawsuit filed on behalf of his deceased wife’s estate in Charleston County’s Court of Common Pleas.
A judge on Tuesday granted Miller’s family, Hutchinson and the two others injured in the crash $1.3 million. According to WDBJ, after legal fees, they will receive a total of $863,000.
The settlement came from Enterprise Rental Cars, from which Komoroski rented a car on the night of the incident, and several bars in Folly Beach, South Carolina, that served Komoroski before the crash, according to WCSC.
Hutchinson’s lawyer made a statement in the courtroom alluding to the ongoing dispute between his client and Miller’s family regarding control of her estate, WCSC reported.
“What we are here for today stems from a tragic incident,” attorney Danny Dalton said. “The decedent, Ms. Samantha Miller, was killed in a driving collision. Her husband, Mr. Aric Hutchinson, is here with us. He is the proper personal representative for the estate.”
Hutchinson underwent multiple surgeries after breaking both legs and multiple bones in his face from the crash.
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