A US woman charged with drunkenly crashing into a golf cart and killing a just-married bride sobbed in court as a judge refused to release her from jail.
A US woman charged with drunkenly crashing into a golf cart and killing a just-married South Carolina bride sobbed in court Tuesday as a judge refused to release her from jail.
Jamie Lee Komoroski, 25, who appeared in Charleston County Detention Centre via video, burst into tears when Judge Michael Nettles denied releasing her on bond, saying he thought she was a flight risk, Live 5 News reported.
Per the New York Post, the court heard from relatives of Samantha Miller, the 34-year-old bride killed in the April 28 wreck that also left the groom and two others seriously injured.
“[Komoroski] didn’t just kill my child,” Ms Miller’s mother, Lisa, said tearfully during the hearing. “She killed all of us.”
Komoroski is accused of driving her Toyota Camry over twice the speed limit down a quiet road with a blood-alcohol content of 0.261.
The Coastal Carolina University graduate smashed her vehicle into the golf cart that was carrying Ms Miller, her new husband Aric Hutchinson, and two relatives from their nearby wedding reception.
Ms Miller, 34, was pronounced dead at the scene, while Mr Hutchinson and the two others were treated for extensive injuries.
“This is certainly a very tragic situation for all concerned,” Judge Nettles said after delivering his decision on Tuesday.
Komoroski – who was allegedly belligerent at the scene of the crash, telling cops, “I did nothing wrong” – was subsequently charged with reckless vehicular homicide and three counts of driving under the influence causing death or great bodily injury.
Her lawyers previously requested $US100,000 ($151,078) bond with the understanding that Komoroski would attend a substance abuse rehab program before being released to her mother’s supervision.
Komoroski had a blood-alcohol content of 0.261.
The former waitress has no criminal history and is not a threat to public safety, her lawyers argued unsuccessfully.
“We appreciate the court’s decision to release Jamie on bond in March 2024 if the State is not ready for trial, but we nonetheless believe that she has met the legal criteria for release today,” defence lawyer Chris Gramiccioni said in a statement.
The judge asked that both the prosecution and defence work to expedite Komoroski’s trial, which is scheduled for March 2024.
If the case is not heard by that time, she could be released on $US150,000 ($226,733) surety bond and subject to electronic monitoring under house arrest, Judge Nettles ruled.
![‘[Komoroski] didn’t just kill my child. She killed all of us.’](https://content.api.news/v3/images/bin/eb105ca2bcb5074925f28722d1ce6fad)
‘[Komoroski] didn’t just kill my child. She killed all of us.’
In May, Komoroski expressed optimism that she might be out of jail soon, telling her boyfriend in a recorded jailhouse call that “the head person of Charleston County” wanted her to be home with her family.
“She’s really nice, and I think she’s gonna help me … things are looking up,” she said on the call, which was published by the Postand Courier.
In other recordings, Komoroski complained about not having an exercise mat to do crunches in her cell, as well as the jail food and other regulations, the outlet said.
Mr Hutchinson filed a wrongful-death suit against Komoroski in May.
Also in May, Mr Hutchinson, 36, filed a wrongful-death suit against Komoroski and several of the bars and restaurants that allegedly served her in the hours before the crash.
Komoroski, the lawsuit claims, was given “copious amounts of alcohol” despite being “visibly intoxicated” after a day of partying.
Komoroski’s former employer, the Taco Boy, and her unnamed boss are also named for “inviting, encouraging, pressuring, and ultimately coercing [Komoroski] to drink alcohol beyond the point of visible intoxication” despite her history of substance abuse.
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