FOLLY BEACH, SOUTH CAROLINA: Jamie Lee Komoroski, the intoxicated driver who mowed down a newlywed couple, killing the bride and critically wounding the groom, was reportedly hired at a Mexican eatery as a server shortly before the crash.
Komoroski, 25, is charged with reckless vehicular homicide and three counts of driving under the influence after she struck newlyweds Samantha Miller, 34, and Aric Hutchinson, 36, with her rental car as they were leaving their wedding ceremony in a golf cart. The New Jersey native is remanded in custody at the Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center in North Charleston. A magistrate reportedly denied her bond on April 29.
READ MORE
As police investigate the tragedy, rumors swirl about where Komoroski was drinking before the crash. She was recently hired as a server at the Mexican eatery Taco Boy, a popular restaurant in Folly Beach’s business district, according to The Post and Courier. Manager Justin Kerr said Komoroski was not working or socializing at the restaurant on the day of the crash. The management reportedly reviewed 16 hours of surveillance footage and interviewed all employees to determine whether Komoroski had been there that night after learning police had charged their new hire.
According to Kerr, management had decided just days earlier that Komoroski "had a good personality for the job," adding, “To be a server here on Folly Island, you have to be a little bit outgoing, you know what I’m saying." However, the manager clarified, “We don’t know what anyone does outside of work.” A spokeswoman later revealed that Taco Boys was no longer employing Komoroski and was committed to serving alcohol responsibly.
Lawyers issue appeal
On May 5, attorneys Christopher J Gramiccioni and Nathan Williams filed notice that they will represent Komoroski. “We cannot fathom what the families are going through and offer our deepest sympathies,” they said in a statement. “We simply ask that there not be a rush to judgment. Our court system is founded upon principles of justice and mercy and that is where all facts will come to light.” Komoroski graduated from Coastal Carolina University in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in marketing, per a spokesman.
The home address she provided while being booked into jail is reportedly a one-story brick home in a suburban pocket of James Island. Her neighbor Royce Akers revealed that Komoroski was renting the property with two other women.
Police investigation continues
Folly Beach police are assembling a timeline of Komoroski’s actions leading up to her allegedly driving 65 mph at a 25mph residential road that was poorly lit. Folly Beach Police Chief Andrew Gilreath said the probe includes interviewing residents, bar owners, and food service workers, checking credit card receipts, and extracting information from Komoroski’s cellphone.
Investigators are also awaiting test results to determine Komoroski's blood alcohol level on the night of the crash. A judge reportedly signed off on a warrant for two vials of blood after Komoroski “strongly refused” to take a field sobriety test or provide breath samples after the crash. “We’re actively serving search warrants on that kind of stuff, trying to get that kind of information,” Gilreath added.