A Michigan couple faces serious charges after one of their groomsmen was fatally struck by a vehicle just hours after their wedding. The tragic incident occurred on Friday, Aug. 30, when Flint police responded to reports of a crash involving a pedestrian on the 1400 block of E. Hamilton, according to a statement released by the Flint Police Department on Wednesday, Sept. 4.
When officers arrived at the scene, they discovered 29-year-old Terry Lewis Taylor Jr. with severe injuries. He was rushed to Hurley Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead.
Police later revealed that Taylor had been a groomsman at the wedding earlier that day. “Further investigation revealed that earlier that day, Taylor Jr. had attended a wedding as a groomsman,” police said. “After the wedding, he was involved in an argument which led to him being intentionally struck by a large SUV that was traveling at a high rate of speed and driven by the groom.”
The groom, 22-year-old James Shirah, is now charged with second-degree murder and is being held without bond. His wife, Savahna Collier, 21, has been charged with a felony of accessory after the fact. Collier posted her $4,000 bond on Wednesday, Sept. 4, according to the Associated Press.
Genesee County prosecutor David Leyton expressed disbelief at the situation, telling the AP, “I’ve never seen anything quite like this. I’ve seen people running over other people, but not so soon after a wedding.”
The incident reportedly followed an argument at a home after the couple’s wedding, which was held at a local pizzeria. Taylor had been standing in the street when he was hit by an SUV allegedly driven by Shirah. Leyton noted that the couple waited a day before reporting the incident to the police, complicating the investigation. “It made it more difficult to unravel what happened,” he said.
Taylor is remembered fondly by his family and friends. His obituary, shared by Dodds-Dumanois Funeral Home and Cremation Center, LLC, in Flint, highlighted his love of music, fishing, riding bikes, and spending time with his children and dog, Kodiak. “Terry enjoyed immensely his music, his children, his family and friends, his dog Kodiak, and eating some good food. It was always important to him to have clean teeth and some cologne on,” the obituary read.
As of Thursday, Sept. 5, no attorney had been assigned to the case, according to the Genesee County public defender’s office.