Drunk driver who drove into newlywed couple SC on wedding night said she only had two drinks

The drunk driver who hit newlyweds as they left their wedding — killing the bride and seriously injuring the groom — claimed she only had two drinks.

Recently released affidavits from officers at the scene of the crash in Folly Beach, South Carolina reveal that Jamie Lee Komoroski, 25, “didn’t cooperate” when police asked her to take a sobriety test.

But when asked how handicapped she was on a scale of 10, she said she was an eight.

Authorities have previously said Komoroski was traveling at 65 mph in a 25 mph zone and was drunk behind the wheel of a rented Toyota Camry when she collided with newlyweds Samantha Miller, 34, and Aric Hutchinson, 36 , as they left their wedding in a golf cart. .

Miller was pronounced dead at the scene, while Hutchinson continues to fight for his life at a local hospital.

Komoroski is now in custody and charged with three counts of drunk driving resulting in serious bodily injury or death, and one count of reckless homicide.

The recently unsealed police statements acquired by WCBDdescribes in harrowing detail how police tried unsuccessfully to rescue Miller and Hutchinson, as well as another member of their bridal party when the golf cart they were traveling in rolled over 100 yards several times.

The first officer on the scene described seeing “a large crash scene with a golf cart on its side” and several casualties lying among the wreckage at the 1200 block of East Ashley Avenue around 10 p.m.

He said his priority was to treat the new bride, but when his efforts failed, he also rendered assistance to Hutchinson and another member of their bridal party, Garrett Hutchinson.

When he finished triaging the injured, the officer said he turned his attention to Komoroski, who was not injured in the collision.

The officer said the 25-year-old Logistics Account Executive smelled of alcohol and was unsteady on his feet.

She even had trouble standing, the responding officer described, and when asked to rate her disability on a scale of one to ten, she replied that she was level eight.

But, the officer said, Komoroski told police on the scene that she had only had one beer and one tequila about an hour earlier.

And when asked to take a sobriety test in the field, the officer wrote “she strongly refused and became uncooperative.”

Aric has been left in critical condition, according to a GoFundMe page set up by his mother, Annette Hutchinson.

It is unclear if the groom is aware of his wife’s death as he has been in critical condition since the incident.

He has undergone reconstruction surgery and is about to undergo another, as well as numerous broken bones and brain injuries.

Sam and Aric were escorted by his brother-in-law Ben Garrett and cousin Brogan when they were reportedly hit by Komoroski. Ben was also seriously injured.

A family member confirmed that Brogan was released on Sunday and is recovering, despite being “beaten up and sore.”

The GoFundMe has raised more than $150,000, with Anette writing, “I got Aric’s wedding ring in a plastic bag at the hospital five hours after Sam put it on his finger and they read each other their vows. Aric has lost the love of his life.

The couple settled in both the groom’s home state of Utah and the state of South Carolina. The bride is from North Carolina.

“The groom graduated from Bonneville High School in South Ogden, Utah and played college football for Snow College and Utah Tech.”

The Charleston County Coroner’s Office confirmed that Miller died at the scene of blunt force injuries sustained in the crash.

Her friends paid tribute to the bride, calling her “one of the nicest people” while saying of the pair: “Nobody deserves this, but especially not Aric and Sam, a dream couple who brought so much life, laughter and zest to life .’

Another added: ‘I’ll never forget when she applied for her office job, we asked her where she saw herself in 10 years.

Her answer, without missing a beat, was married to the love of her life and a mother.

“That was all tragically taken over by a careless person on the night her dream was just beginning.”

Folly Beach public safety director Andrew Gilreath said the golf cart — a six-passenger, slow-moving model with a maximum speed of 25 mph — was legal to drive at night.

Komoroski is now detained at Sheriff Al Cannon’s detention center and will appear in court in June in connection with the incident.

She faces up to 25 years in prison for the bride’s death, as well as a fine of up to $25,100, and an additional 15 years and $10,100 for the serious injury to the men in the buggy.

For the reckless murder, she could face a 10-year prison sentence and a fine of up to $5,000, as well as having her driver’s license revoked for five years after release.

Records obtained by DailyMail.com show that Komoroski has a history of traffic violations dating back to 2018.

The first took place on May 31, 2018 in Horry County, South Carolina – home of Myrtle Beach and Coastal Carolina University, where Komoroski went to school.

She was charged with driving less than 10 miles per hour faster than the speed limit, to which she pleaded guilty and paid a $76.50 fine.

Later that year, Komoroski pleaded guilty to one count of operating a vehicle at a speed that is unreasonable road conditions. She was arrested in November during a rare freeze alert in the popular tourist area.

In 2019, Komoroski was again charged with speeding at 10 mph or less over the speed limit, to which she again pleaded guilty and paid an additional $76.50.

More recently, she was cited for failing to operate a turn signal or stop signal, to which she pleaded guilty on April 5, 2023, and paid a $25 fine.