FLINT, Mich. — A newlywed couple has been charged in the death of a groomsman who was struck by a vehicle on their wedding day, Michigan authorities said Thursday.
The groom, James Shirah, was behind the wheel when the SUV struck Terry Taylor Jr. in Flint on Aug. 30, police said.
“After the wedding, (Taylor) was involved in an argument, which resulted in him being intentionally struck by a large SUV traveling at a high rate of speed,” police said.
Shirah, 22, was charged with second-degree murder. The Genesee County public defender’s office said Thursday that an attorney had not yet been assigned to the case.
Police described Taylor, 29, as a groomsman.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” said David Leyton, who is in his 20th year as a prosecutor. “I’ve seen people run over others but not so soon after a wedding.”
Leyton, citing the police report, said the wedding was at a pizzeria. The fight happened in a house where the celebration continued.
Taylor was on the street in front of the house when he was hit by the SUV, Leyton said.
The bride and groom left the scene and didn’t go to the police until the next day, he added, making it “harder to figure out what happened.”
Shirah was being held in jail without bond. His 21-year-old wife was charged with being an accessory. She posted bail on Wednesday.