Samantha Hutchinson death: Bride dies when speeding DUI driver slams golf cart

A US bride leaving her wedding reception was killed when a woman driving under the influence and well over twice the speed limit slammed into the back of a golf cart on a South Carolina beach road, authorities said.

A photo taken just moments before the tragedy shows Samantha Hutchinson and her new husband Aric smiling widely as friends and family celebrate their union.

Minutes after the photo was taken, their marriage met a fatal end at the hands of the speeding drink-driver.

Data retrieved from Jamie Lee Komoroski’s rental car indicated she was driving 105km/h and only briefly hit the brakes before she hit the golf cart around 10pm Friday on Folly Beach, investigators said.

The speed limit on the island near Charleston is 40km/h.

Hutchinson, 34, of Charlotte, North Carolina, died in the wreck, according to the Charleston County Coroner’s Office.

She had just got married hours earlier, Folly Beach Public Safety Department Director Andrew Gilreath said.

Three others in the golf cart including the groom were injured. Gilreath said the golf cart had lights and was legal to drive at night.

Aric and Samantha Hutchinson had just tied the knot when tragedy struck. Photo / GoFundMe

The groom’s mother created a Go Fund Me Page to pay for her daughter-in-law’s funeral and her son’s medical bills. It included the photo of the newlyweds running under sparklers just before the crash.

It also had a photo of groom Aric Hutchinson in the hospital, where he was recovering from a brain injury and numerous broken bones after the golf cart rolled over several times and was thrown 91 metres.

Aric Hutchinson recovering in hospital. Photo / GoFundMe

“Aric is in serious condition and has had one of two reconstruction surgeries, numerous broken bones, and a brain injury, he will have a long recovery,” Annette Hutchinson wrote.

“I was handed Aric’s wedding ring in a plastic bag at the hospital, five hours after Sam placed it on his finger and they read each other their vows. Aric has lost the love of his life,” she added.

Jamie Lee Komoroski is charged with reckless vehicular homicide and three counts of driving under the influence causing death. Photo / Charleston County Sheriff's Office via AP

Komoroski, 25, is charged with reckless vehicular homicide and three counts of driving under the influence causing death. She faces one to 25 years in prison on each DUI count.

Komoroski remained in the Charleston County jail Monday afternoon and records did not indicate if she had a lawyer.

- Additional reporting, NZ Herald