Video released in August 2026 from the night of the Folly Beach crash shows Jamie Komoroski repeatedly asking the officer whether she could call her father, and repeatedly declining to take a breathalyzer.
The case itself is closed. She pleaded guilty and is serving 25 years. What the footage adds is not a new fact about guilt — it is a clear look at a decision drivers are told about constantly and understand poorly.
What happened
On 28 April 2023, at around 10pm on East Ashley Avenue, a vehicle travelling at 65 mph struck a golf cart. Samantha Miller, married hours earlier, was killed at the scene. Her husband, Aric Hutchinson, and two relatives were injured.
Komoroski’s blood alcohol was recorded at 0.261%.
The sentence
| Count | Sentence |
|---|---|
| Felony DUI resulting in death | 25 years |
| DUI causing great bodily injury (two counts) | 15 years |
| Reckless homicide | 10 years |
| Served concurrently — total | 25 years |
Concurrent means the sentences run at the same time rather than end to end. This is a point that causes constant confusion in reporting: a headline listing 25, 15 and 10 does not add up to fifty years. The total is the longest single term.
The refusal is the part with a lesson in it. A great many drivers believe that declining a breath test means no reading exists and therefore no case. The footage here sits alongside a recorded blood alcohol level of 0.261%, which is the answer. Refusing a roadside breath test does not make the evidence disappear — blood can be taken under a warrant, and in most states the refusal itself triggers an automatic licence suspension under implied consent laws, separately from anything a court later decides. In practice a refusal tends to add a penalty rather than remove one.
Why implied consent works that way
Every US state operates some form of implied consent: by holding a driving licence, a driver is treated as having agreed in advance to chemical testing when lawfully arrested for impaired driving.
The design is deliberate. If refusal carried no cost, refusing would always be the rational choice, and the testing regime would collapse. So the law attaches a consequence to the refusal itself — typically an automatic suspension — while leaving officers able to obtain a warrant for blood.
The specific penalties, suspension lengths and warrant procedures vary by state, and anyone who wants to know their own position should check their state’s statute or ask a lawyer rather than rely on a general description.
What the video does and does not change
It does not alter the outcome. Komoroski pleaded guilty; the sentence was imposed by Judge Deadre Jefferson in Charleston County; reporting from December 2024 indicates a request for a reduced sentence followed.
What footage like this tends to do is renew attention on a case years after it concludes, which is worth saying plainly because of who is affected by that. A family that has already been through a death, a plea and a sentencing has the whole thing return to the news cycle without any new development in it.
The one thing genuinely useful to take from it is the practical point above — and that is worth more than the footage.
The crash occurred on 28 April 2023 at approximately 10pm on East Ashley Avenue, Folly Beach, South Carolina, with investigators reporting a speed of 65 mph at impact. Samantha Miller was killed and Aric Hutchinson and two relatives were injured. Jamie Komoroski’s reported blood alcohol level of 0.261%, her guilty plea to felony DUI resulting in death, two counts of DUI causing great bodily injury and reckless homicide, and the concurrent sentences of 25, 15 and 10 years imposed by Judge Deadre Jefferson in Charleston County totalling 25 years, were reported by ABC News 4, Live 5 News and WCNC. The newly released video showing Komoroski repeatedly requesting to call her father and declining a breathalyzer was reported on 6–7 August 2026 by Live 5 News, Fox Carolina and affiliated stations. Reporting from December 2024 indicates a subsequent request for a reduced sentence. The description of implied consent law is general information about how such statutes operate across US states; specific penalties vary by state and this is not legal advice.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What was released?
New video from the aftermath of the April 2023 Folly Beach crash, published in August 2026. It shows Jamie Komoroski repeatedly asking the officer whether she could call her father, and repeatedly declining to take a breathalyzer test.
What happened in the crash?
On 28 April 2023, at around 10pm on East Ashley Avenue in Folly Beach, South Carolina, a vehicle travelling at 65 mph struck a golf cart. Newlywed Samantha Miller was killed at the scene. Her husband, Aric Hutchinson, and two relatives were injured.
What was her blood alcohol level?
Reported at 0.261% — more than three times the legal limit.
What was she charged with and what sentence did she get?
She pleaded guilty to felony DUI resulting in death, two counts of DUI causing great bodily injury, and reckless homicide. She received 25 years for the felony DUI, 15 years on the great bodily injury counts and 10 years for reckless homicide, served concurrently — a total of 25 years.
If she refused the breathalyzer, how was her alcohol level known?
Refusing a roadside breath test does not prevent alcohol evidence being obtained. Blood can be drawn under a warrant, and in most states refusal carries its own automatic penalty for the driving licence. The reading still entered the case.
Has she sought a reduced sentence?
Reporting from December 2024 indicates a request for a reduced sentence was made after sentencing.
