Aric Hutchinson and Samantha Miller were beginning their journey as husband and wife when an unimaginable tragedy struck. What should have been the happiest day of their lives ended in heartbreak and loss.
Just hours after exchanging vows, the couple departed their wedding reception on Folly Beach, South Carolina, in a low-speed vehicle (LSV) adorned with sparklers. Operated by Aric’s relatives, Benjamin and Brogan Garrett, the street-legal cart was heading toward the couple’s accommodation, just two blocks away, when disaster struck.
A rented Toyota driven by 25-year-old Jamie Lee Komoroski collided with the back of the LSV at high speed. Data revealed Komoroski was driving 65 mph in a 25 mph zone and had barely attempted to brake before the crash, which occurred around 10 p.m.
Tragically, Samantha died at the scene from blunt force injuries, while Aric suffered severe injuries, including broken bones and a brain injury. He remains in critical condition. Benjamin Garrett was also hospitalized with serious injuries, while Brogan was treated and later released.
Komoroski, allegedly under the influence at the time of the crash, faces charges of reckless vehicular homicide and three counts of driving under the influence causing death. Each DUI charge carries a potential sentence of up to 25 years in prison. Authorities confirmed the LSV was properly equipped with lights and legal for nighttime driving.
Samantha’s mother, devastated by the loss, shared her grief: “She literally ran into my daughter going 65 miles an hour. Sammie and Aric were on the back of the golf cart, and she just whammed my child.”
Samantha’s sister, Mandi Jenkins, recalled the horrifying moment: “We were sitting on the balcony in our pajamas and heard the sirens. They kept going and going. When my sister didn’t respond to my texts, we drove to the scene, and what we saw was devastating.”
Komoroski refused to provide a breath sample at the police station. A warrant was issued for blood samples, and results are pending.
In the wake of the tragedy, Aric’s mother, Annette Hutchinson, created a GoFundMe campaign to cover medical expenses and funeral costs. She wrote: “Aric has had one of two reconstruction surgeries, numerous broken bones, and a brain injury. He has lost the love of his life.” The fundraiser has raised nearly $600,000 as of Wednesday, far surpassing its $100,000 goal.
Another campaign, started by Samantha’s sister Mandi, has raised $37,000 of its $10,000 goal to honor Samantha’s memory.
“Samantha was fearless, and that’s exactly how she lived her last day,” Mandi wrote. “She was so excited to start her life with Aric. You could feel the love on that beach.”
Our deepest condolences go out to Samantha’s family and friends. May she rest in peace.
Please share this story to help spread awareness about the devastating impact of driving under the influence.
“I Would Try for My Girl,” Rihanna Shares She’s Ready to Have More Kids With ASAP Rocky
After dedicating herself to a career to shape her life and business empire, Rihanna is now embracing a more laid-back approach to the future. Currently, a mother to two sons, RZA and Riot, expressed her desire to expand her family.
Rihanna reflects on growing her family and rapidly deepening her bond with Rocky.
Rihanna talked about her expanding family in a recent interview. The singer mentioned her openness to having more children, saying, “I will have as many kids as God wants me to have.” She also expressed her desire for a daughter, “I don’t know what God wants, but I would go for more than two. I would try for my girl. But of course, if it’s another boy, it’s another boy.”
Reflecting on their relationship’s beginning, Rihanna described their cautious approach, allowing things to unfold naturally, “I just let whatever was supposed to happen, happen. It was just, This is a flower. It’s either going to die or blossom. But I’m going to let it decide itself.”
She acknowledged that the lockdown in 2021 accelerated their relationship, leading them to start a family sooner than planned. Despite the unexpected timing, Rihanna emphasized how becoming a family was the best thing for them.
Their partnership, she explained, thrives on mutual trust and acceptance rather than striving for perfection. Rihanna expressed gratitude for Rocky’s belief in her and his vision of her as a great mother. Likewise, she believed in him as a great father. She’s happy with how everything turned out, stating, “I let God lead and just let go. Because in previous relationships, I tried and tried and tried my best, and you still feel like it’s not enough. So when someone sees you and believes in you, and thinks you’re worthy of being the mother of their kids, it’s a great feeling. I felt the same about him. I knew he would be a great dad.”
Her life has been more colorful since becoming a mother.
The Barbadian singer also opened up about what it’s like to be a parent and how that affected her. “I’m living for my son,” Rihanna said. “Everything matters now. You really start to take a lot into account.”
The 34-year-old also explained that her life took a turn for the better after giving birth and that she thinks twice before taking unnecessary risks. “Skydiving?! You think about stuff like that — it’s not worth it,” she continued. “Everything is different, life before my son seems very obscure. It’s very small and cloudy, it just got better with him.”
And this isn’t the first time Rihanna has gushed about the joys of motherhood and how much she’s enjoying her new role. In a previous interview, she lit up when asked what her favorite thing about being a mom was.
“Oh my god, the mornings, like, seeing his morning face! Seeing a baby with, like, little bags and waking up, and they’re just, like, startled. They’re trying to figure out where they’re at. It’s the cutest, it’s my favorite part of the day,” she replied.
How motherhood changed her perspective on work.
On 12 February 2023, Rihanna stepped on stage to perform a selection of her hits after being away from music for almost a decade. The stage was none other than the halftime show at the Super Bowl, which has a long tradition of featuring iconic acts from a variety of music’s biggest names. When asked, during the podcast recording, about how she reacted when she got the invitation for it, the singer admitted that she was fearful of how it would go.
“It was so scary because it was kind of unexpected to come back from zero to Super Bowl. That’s kind of nuts,” Rihanna replied. She also wanted to make sure the show would be good enough to warrant the time spent away from her son. “Getting back to anything right now has to feel worth it. Nothing is worthy of your time away from your kid,” she added.
But what took the world by surprise during her Super Bowl Halftime Show was the announcement that she is pregnant with her second child, with the performance beginning with the singer rubbing her baby bump at the start of the first song. RiRi created a new pop culture moment, and since then, fans can’t wait to see how her motherhood story continues to unfold and blossom!
We compared 18 star couples’ photos when they were early in the relationship and right before they broke up. Click here to see photos.
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