The widower groom of the newlywed killed by an alleged drunk driver on Folly Beach April 28 has filed a wrongful death civil lawsuit. It claims the driver, Jamie Komoroski of James Island, had been “bar hopping” throughout the fateful day.
Charleston-based attorney Daniel Dalton of Mickelsen Dalton LLC is representing Aric Hutchinson, the groom who received multiple injuries in the golf cart-car accident that made national headlines.
“This case is about keeping the public safe from drunk driving,” he said. “We’ve performed our own investigation into this matter. We’ve been cooperating with law enforcement however we can, and we felt confident enough to be ready to file the lawsuit based on what we’ve found out so far.”
The lawsuit follows a tragic accident in which the alleged drunk driver’s car collided with a golf cart transporting newlywed bride Samantha Miller and groom Hutchinson, as well as two others. The bride and groom had gotten married only hours earlier.
According to a news report, a lab report from the State Law Enforcement Division showed Komoroski had a blood-alcohol level of 0.26 at the time, more than three times over the legal limit.
Hutchinson is still physically recovering from injuries sustained in the crash, Dalton said. According to news reports, data retrieved from Komoroski’s rental car showed she was driving 65 mph, well over twice the speed limit.
Dalton said there are still facts and a lot of questions that hadn’t yet been answered.
“There are still many details we don’t know about the sequence of events leading up to the tragic crash,” Dalton said. “But by filing a lawsuit, we can begin the legal discovery process that allows us to get the answers that Samantha’s family deserves.”
According to the lawsuit, “Despite being noticeably and visibly intoxicated at each of these establishments, Jamie Komoroski continued to be served, provided, and/or allowed to consume alcohol in each of them.”
Dalton said video and photo evidence, as well as eyewitness testimony, were used in the investigation to ensure confidence in Komoroski’s level of intoxication described in the lawsuit.
Businesses named in the lawsuit were Beach Front Bars, Snapper Jacks, The Folly Beach Deli, The Drop In Bar & Deli, The Crab Shack, Folly Tacqueria, Taco Boy, El Gallo Bar and Grill, and Bottle Cap Management Group.
According to the lawsuit, these establishments “ … as licensed sellers of beer, wine and liquor for consumption pursuant to South Carolina law, had a duty to obey all laws and regulations regarding the sale of alcoholic beverages and exercise due care … not to allow patrons to become intoxicated, to not serve alcohol to intoxicated persons.”
The lawsuit also lists about 20 John and Jane Does representing owners, managers, operators, agents and more whose “negligence contributed to” Miller’s death.
The private investigation is ongoing, he said.
“We hope that the bars will cooperate with us and provide whatever they have,” Dalton said. “I would think given the tragic nature of this case that they would want to own up to whatever happened or didn’t happen … we’ve seen cooperation from some parties; others are tightening up a little bit.
This is a developing story. Follow Charleston City Paper for more information as it becomes available.
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