Judge awards $1.3 million settlement to victims of crash that killed bride on her wedding night
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC/Gray News) - A judge has awarded the victims of a car crash that killed a bride on her wedding night last year, and injured the groom and two others over $1 million.
The crash happened April 28, 2023, at about 10 p.m. when a vehicle rear-ended a golf cart in the 1200 block of East Ashley Avenue, Folly Beach Police Chief Andrew Gilreath said.
The person killed in the crash, Samantha Miller, had just gotten married to Aric Hutchinson earlier in the evening, and the occupants of the golf cart were taking the newlywed couple back to their rental home when they were struck by a vehicle driven by then-25-year-old Jamie Lee Komoroski.
Investigators determined Komoroski was going 65 mph at the time of the crash.
Tuesday, the settlement was partially reached in the wrongful death lawsuit against the accused driver and several Lowcountry restaurants and bars.
Hutchinson and his lawyer Danny Dalton were in the Charleston County courtroom during Tuesday’s hearing and said they were pleased with the settlement.
However, a settlement has not yet been reached with all the defendants with litigation continuing with Jamie Komoroski and the Taco Boy restaurant.
“What we are here for today stems from a tragic incident,” 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.”
The total settlement awarded by Judge Roger Young to Hutchinson, the estate of Miller and the two other golf cart engers was $1.3 million.
After attorney and legal fees, the total was over $863,000.
Despite fees, an additional reason the total was less can be attributed to an ongoing estate dispute between Hutchinson and the bride’s mother, Lisa Miller, according to Dalton. In December 2023, Lisa Miller challenged if her daughter and Hutchinson were ever legally married and asked to replace Hutchinson as representative for her daughter’s estate.
“The expenses as for the estate of Samantha Miller are a bit higher than you would anticipate. There was an estate dispute that took a significant amount of time and resources,” Dalton said.
The Folly Beach bars included in the lawsuit that settled on Tuesday included the Crab Shack, the Drop-In Bar and Deli and Snapper Jacks.
Enterprise Rent-A-Car also settled, because Komoroski was driving a rented vehicle the night of the crash.
El Gallo Bar and Grill was initially named as a defendant in the lawsuit but was dropped after providing a receipt that Komoroski had not purchased alcohol.
Judge Young oversaw the hearing and expressed how difficult wrongful death hearings can be.
“I’m like a lot of people, I am aware of this case from the amount of media coverage it had. Very tragic circumstances. By definition any time we have a wrongful death suit, they are not easy to bear. No money can bring back people,” he said.
It is not yet known where litigation stands in settling with Komoroski or Taco Boy.
In naming Taco Boy, the lawsuit states Komoroski had been an employee for a short time. The lawsuit alleges the restaurant was negligent by “organizing, arranging, and supervising an employee function/meeting knowing that excessive amounts of alcoholic beverages would be purchased for, served to, and/or consumed by the employees attending the function/meeting.”
When the lawsuit was originally filed, Taco Boy said Komoroski was not in their restaurant and was not served alcohol there on the day of the fatal crash. The statement also denies there was any “organized employee function around drinking.”
Below is a breakdown of the damages each business agreed to pay in the settlement:
- Crab Shack - $640,000
- The Drop-In Bar & Deli - $320,000
- Snapper Jacks - $320,000
- Enterprise Rent-A-Car - $240,000
- Samantha Miller’s Progressive Policy - $75,000
Copyright 2024 WCSC via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
