The South Carolina groom who lost his newlywed wife in a DUI crash just hours after their wedding recalled Friday about first learning she was dead — and his heartbreaking last memory of their special day.
With tears streaming down his face and his voice cracking with emotion, Aric Hutchinson spoke to ABC’s “Good Morning America” about the April 28 collision that turned his life upside down.
“I remember waking up. It’s kind of foggy, out of sorts,” Hutchinson told ABC correspondent Eva Pilgrim. “I could see my mom’s face, and you could just tell that something was wrong. I asked her, ‘Where’s Sam? Where’s Sam?’ And that’s when she told me there was an incident and that Sam didn’t make it.”
Aric, 36, and Samantha, 34, were riding in a golf cart with family members from their wedding reception at Folley Beach when a Toyota Camry allegedly doing 40 mph above the speed limit rear-ended their slow-moving vehicle.
Aric Hutchinson gave an emotional interview to ABC’s “Good Morning America” about last month’s crash that killed his wife just hours after their wedding. ABC
Hutchinson, left, revealed that he initially did not know that his wife, Samantha, was killed when he woke up in the hospital. 9th Judicial Circuit, South Carolina
The impact sent the golf cart flying 100 yards and rolling over several times.
The bride, who was still in her wedding dress, died at the scene. The groom was hospitalized with a brain injury and multiple broken bones in his face and body.
Another victim, the groom’s relative Ben Garrett, was also seriously hurt.
Hutchinson said he does not remember the moment of impact — although he wishes he did.
Samantha was pronounced dead at the scene at Folley Beach, South Carolina, after the golf cart she was in was rear-ended by a speeding car. Folly Beach Police Department
Aric survived but suffered multiple serious injuries, including a brain injury and broken bones. GoFundMe/Folly Beach Police/MEGA
Hutchinson, 36, broke down in tears speaking of losing his wife to a suspected drunk driver. ABC
“The last thing I remember [Samantha] saying was she wanted the night to never end,” he recounted through sobs.
The driver of the Toyota, 25-year-old Jamie Komoroski, has been charged with three counts of felony DUI resulting in death or injury and one count of reckless homicide.
Hutchinson, who has been recovering at home for more than a week, spoke movingly of his joyful memories from the night of the wedding — before the crash changed everything.
Hutchinson said his mother was the one who told him that Samantha was in an accident and didn’t make itFacebook / Michael D Peifer
“I’m still trying to wrap my head around it — that night going from an all-time high to an all-time low,” he said. “It’s pretty rough to comprehend.”
Hutchinson recalled the feeling of being surrounded by family and friends who had traveled from all over the country to celebrate his and Samantha’s nuptials.
“She was so happy,” he said of his late bride.
When asked if he had a message for the driver, Hutchinson said, “She stole something. She stole an amazing human being that should not have been taken.”
Jamie Komoroski, 25, has been charged with DUI and reckless homicide, accused of rear-ending the newlyweds’ golf cart while doing 40mph over the speed limit. GoFundMe/Folly Beach Police/MEGA
On Wednesday, Hutchinson filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Komoroski and several bars that he claims overserved alcohol to her the night of the crash.
According to arrest affidavits, Komoroski said she had a beer and a shot of tequila before getting behind the wheel.
Komoroski’s toxicology report showed that her blood-alcohol level was three times the legal limit to drive.
Hutchinson, right, said that Samantha was very happy on their wedding day, and that the last thing she told him was she didn’t want the night to end. GoFundMe/Folly Beach Police/MEGA
At the time of her arrest, Komoroski, originally from New Jersey, was dazed and belligerent, and told first responders that she “did nothing wrong,” according to police documents.
Last week, Komoroski’s high-powered attorneys cautioned the public not to “rush to judgment” and wait for all the facts “to come to light.”
Meanwhile, Hutchinson is now left to plan his wife’s funeral while continuing to live in the apartment they previously shared.
“It’s got Sam written all over this house, so it’s nice to be here and have good memories,” he said.
Source link: https://nypost.com/2023/05/19/aric-hutchinson-recalls-dui-wedding-day-crash-that-killed-wife-sam/