The day of Samantha Miller and Aric Hutchinson’s wedding started out like a dream but ended in an unimaginable nightmare. As Miller, 34, and Hutchinson, 36, rode on a golf cart during their April 28 celebration, a drunk driver allegedly hit the couple, and tragically, Miller died. In the months following her death, Sam Miller’s mom, Lisa Miller, used social media as an outlet for her grief and love for her daughter.
Recent updates to her TikTok page gave insight into the tumultuous relationship between Lisa Miller and her son-in-law. The heartbroken mother and grieving groom are embroiled in a battle over the young bride’s estate.
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The driver who crashed into the couple was allegedly extremely intoxicated.
A wrongful death lawsuit filed by Hutchinson claims Jamie Lee Komoroski visited several bars around Folly Beach, South Carolina, the night of the accident, according to CBS News. The lawsuit names El Gallo Bar & Grill, Snapper Jacks, The Drop-In Bar & Deli, and The Crab Shack as bars that either overserved Komoroski, leading to her intoxication, or continued to serve her after she was visibly intoxicated.
Komoroski allegedly "slurred and staggered" from bar to bar before driving a Toyota Camry that ultimately crashed into the golf cat that killed Samantha Miller and seriously injured Hutchinson. Her blood alcohol level was reportedly three times the legal limit, CBS News reported.
Shortly after the crash, the family set up a GoFundMe account for the couple.
The fundraiser, created by Hutchinson’s mother, Annette Hutchinson, states that along with her son, her son-in-law Benjamin Garrett and grandson Brogan Garret were escorting the couple from the reception when Komoroski allegedly hit the golf cart at 65 miles per hour. The golf cart flipped several times after it was thrown 100 yards, Annette Hutchinson wrote.
“We constantly wish Sam and Aric were now building their lives together as they planned. They had been together since they met in early 2019; it was only a week or so after when Sam said to me on the phone, 'Hello, future mother-in-law'. They had adventures traveling, moved across country twice to be together, and were at home during COVID. They added to their family of three (Sam came with a cat) with a new kitten in 2020," she wrote on the page. "They became engaged in June of 2021, after which Sam spent months planning her dream wedding. They chose each other and wanted to grow old together. Aric and Sam’s wedding was their last beautiful memory together. We will always cherish their love story and will live the rest of our lives honoring Sam.”
The account brought in donations of $734,000 before it was disabled.
Samantha Miller’s estate expects a large settlement from the lawsuit.
Courts were nearing a settlement with the establishments named in the suit and her estate was set to procure a “hefty settlement,” the Charleston Post and Courier reported December 4. Prior to settling the lawsuit, Lisa Miller filed a motion in court to remove her son-in-law as the representative of her daughter’s estate. She told the newspaper that her daughter never would have wanted things to be this way.
“Aric and I agreed several times that Sam would want us to do everything together given we’re the two most important people in her life,” she said. “I never wanted to challenge the validity of the marriage. I never wanted to dishonor Sam. But I feel like Aric is dishonoring my daughter in going against her wishes.”
Hutchinson’s attorneys claim Lisa Miller wants money she is not legally entitled to.
Although the devastated mother says the lawsuit is not about the money, Hutchinson’s attorneys beg to differ.
“Aric has been more than generous with Lisa Miller — offering her half of the money — and she has repaid him by threatening to bring a frivolous challenge to the validity of his marriage to Sam,” Hutchinson’s attorney, Patrick Wooten, told the Post and Courier. “One would hope that Ms. Miller would have too much respect for her own daughter to do that.”
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Lisa Miller took to social media to discuss her feelings.
She has shared her heartache regarding her daughter’s untimely death through a series of posts on social media, mostly TikTok. Since Samantha Miller’s death, the grieving mother has posted letters written to her daughter and messages of love and hope for those experiencing grief. She also says she's been bullied by supporters of Hutchinson who say she isn’t entitled to anything related to her daughter’s estate.
She posted a tear-filled video captioned, “Grief is like a surprise you can’t plan for it, or prepare for it to hit!!! It catches you off guard. But the good thing is it is normal and it’s OK to break down and it’s OK to be angry and it’s OK to feel feelings.!!!
"we don’t need to be ashamed of feelings. Start getting used to allowing yourself to feel your emotions,” she added.
She recalled visiting the dentist and removing Sam’s name as her emergency contact. “It was almost like it was taking her away again,” she said through tears.
Lisa Miller has disabled comments on her videos.
“Aric has made this settlement offer not because Lisa Miller had a valid legal claim — she does not — but rather because he is a generous person and, of course, would prefer to avoid painful, public litigation over the validity of his marriage to Sam,” Wooten shared in a memo, according to the Post and Courier.
