Groom breaks silence after bride killed on wedding day: 'The last thing she said'
The newlyweds were leaving their wedding reception when they were hit by a car travelling more than 100km/h.
The husband of a woman who was killed on her wedding day has broken his silence, recounting the horrific moment he learned his soulmate had died.
Aric Hutchinson, 36, and Samantha Hutchinson – formerly Miller – were leaving their wedding reception on April 28 at Folly Beach in South Carolina when the golf cart they were travelling in was struck by a speeding car.
The 34-year-old bride died at the scene, while three others on board the cart suffered critical injuries. Samantha was still wearing her wedding dress.
In an emotional interview with Good Morning America, Mr Hutchinson recalled the last words his bride said to him.
"The last thing I remember her saying is she wanted the night to never end," he said. "That's the last thing she said to me."
The newlyweds were seated in the back of the golf cart on a bench seat that faces backwards when the car came hurtling towards them, allegedly travelling at speeds of more than 100km/h. The impact threw the golf cart almost 100 metres, killing the bride just five hours after she said her vows.
Mr Hutchinson broke both legs, his back, had broken bones in his face and brain bleeds, according to his mother Annette Hutchinson.
While he doesn’t remember the crash, he recalled his mother telling him that Samantha hadn’t survived the accident.
"I remember waking up — just kind of foggy, out of sorts — and I could see my mum's face," he said. "You could tell that something was wrong. And I asked her, 'Where's Sam, where's Sam?' And that's when she told me about the incident and that Sam didn't make it.
"I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. That night going on an all time high to an all time low. It's pretty rough to comprehend.
“We had family, friends, from all over the country — everywhere there. And everyone was just so happy. She was so happy. It was [one of the best nights of my life].”
Returning home bitter sweet for groom
Mr Hutchinson said while it’s “hard” to be back at the apartment where the two of them lived together, it was also nice – “because it’s got Sam written all over it”.
He said it was his wife’s decision to move into the apartment on the third floor of their building, and said it was filled with “good memories”.
"I know she's up there watching, just laughing at me trying to get up and down these stairs because it was her decision to go to the third floor.”
Victim has no words for allegedly drunk driver
The driver of the car, Jamie Komoroski, was allegedly three times over the limit with a BAC of 0.261 on the night of the tragedy.
The 25-year-old reportedly told police, “all of a sudden something hit me” and “I did nothing wrong”, the New York Post said, citing an incident report.
She was charged with three felony DUIs resulting in great bodily injury or death and one count of reckless homicide.
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Mr Hutchinson said he had nothing to say to Komoroski.
"I can't right now," he said. "She stole something. She stole an amazing human being who should not have been taken.”
Earlier this week, the grieving husband filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Komoroski, and claimed a number of restaurants and bars continued to serve her alcohol “despite being noticeably and visibly intoxicated”.
A GoFundMe set up following the tragedy has raised more than A$1 million.
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