MORNING HEADLINES | A state circuit judge on Tuesday approved a final settlement in a wrongful death civil lawsuit filed by a groom who lost his new bride in a DUI golf cart crash on Folly Beach in 2023.
In April 2023, newlywed Samantha Miller died after an intoxicated driver rear-ended the golf cart in which she and her husband, Aric Hutchinson, were riding back from their wedding party. Hutchinson and two others also were hurt in the accident.
On Tuesday, the vehicle insurance provider for driver Jamie Komoroski agreed to pay $160,000 to Hutchinson. Last year, Komoroski was sentenced to a maximum of 25 years in prison after she pleaded guilty to one count of felony DUI, two counts of DUI causing great bodily injury or death, and one count of reckless homicide.
In civil cases, Hutchinson sued Komoroski and several Folly Beach bars. Previous settlements with bars totaled more than $863,300.
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In other recent headlines
2026: S.C. gubernatorial candidate fights to have criminal case dismissed. Charleston attorney Mullins McLeod was arrested for disorderly conduct in May after police said he caused a disturbance down at the Battery. Now, McLeod is filing a motion to dismiss the case after failed negotiations with the city to have the charges dropped altogether.
Charleston Co. libraries expand free produce program. The Charleston County Public Library will expand its free produce program to a fourth location after receiving a $100,000 federal grant from the Institute for Museums of Library Services.
U.S. Chamber holds forum to make Charleston more resilient during storms. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is hosting a Disaster Relief Forum Wednesday, aiming to highlight not only the public safety stakes, but also the economic consequences of being underprepared when major storms strike.
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- Stalled Meeting Street hotel revived with a compromise
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