Aric Hutchinson, a groom who lost his wife to a DUI-related accident just hours after their wedding ceremony, gave his first candid interview since the incident on Friday.
The widower appeared distraught as he spoke between tears, struggling to express his sorrow to ABC’s Eva Pilgrim as he comes to terms with the irrevocable loss of his beloved Samantha.
“I’m still trying to wrap my head around it — that night going from an all-time high to an all-time low, it’s pretty rough to try to comprehend,” the mourning groom said.
“I remember waking up. It’s kind of foggy, out of sorts. I could see my mom’s face, and you could just tell that something was wrong. I asked her, ‘Where’s Sam? Where’s Sam?’ And that’s when she told me there was an incident and that Sam didn’t make it.”
After the wedding ceremony, the Hutchinsons boarded a golf cart and began to drive home to their new life of matrimony. However, the couple was soon separated when the golf cart they were riding was hit by one Jamie Lee Komoroski, who was hurtling through a 25 mph zone at around 65 mph, according to police. The driver was coming home from a night out with coworkers from the taqueria where she worked, and officials say her blood alcohol was 0.261, greater than three times the legal limit.
When asked by the interviewer if he had any words for the driver, Hutchinson said, “No, I can’t right now. I’d like to. I mean, she stole something — she stole an amazing human being that should not have been taken.”
Komoroski remains in prison and faces charges of driving under the influence and reckless homicide for which she could receive up to 10 years in prison. Hutchinson has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Komoroski and against the bars which allegedly continued to serve her adult beverages while she became “visibly intoxicated.”
Hutchinson said that he didn’t remember the fateful crash, but that he wishes he could.
“I do remember the last thing I remember her saying was she wanted the night to never end,” said the widower, hanging his head and staring at the ground.
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