A newlywed couple has been charged in connection with the death of a groomsman who was fatally struck by a vehicle on their wedding day, Michigan authorities reported Thursday.
Police said the groom, James Shirah, was driving the SUV that hit Terry Taylor Jr. in Flint on August 30.
“Following the wedding, Taylor was involved in an argument, which escalated to him being deliberately struck by a large SUV traveling at high speed,” according to police.
Shirah, 22, faces charges of second-degree murder. The Genesee County public defender’s office confirmed on Thursday that no attorney had yet been assigned to his case.
Taylor, 29, was a groomsman at the wedding, police said.
“This is something I’ve never seen before,” said David Leyton, the county prosecutor in his 20th year of service. “I’ve handled cases of people being run over, but never right after a wedding.”
According to Leyton and the police report, the wedding was held at a pizzeria, and the argument occurred at a house where the celebration continued.
Taylor was standing in the street outside the house when he was struck by the SUV, Leyton added.
The bride and groom left the scene and didn’t report the incident to police until the following day, complicating efforts to piece together what happened.
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Shirah remains in jail without bond. His 21-year-old wife, charged as an accessory, posted bond on Wednesday.
