A Michigan groom was sentenced to a minimum of 30 years in prison on Monday for fatally running over his best friend and groomsman with an SUV on his wedding night following an alcohol-fueled argument.
James Shirah, 24, of Flint, Michigan, struck 29-year-old Terry Lewis Taylor Jr. with a large SUV at a high rate of speed on Aug. 30, 2024, hours after marrying Savanah Collier at a local pizzeria.
The wedding celebration had moved from the ceremony venue to a private residence when an argument broke out, and Taylor was standing in the street in front of the home when he was struck, according to Yahoo News.
Prosecutors said Shirah drove off after the initial collision, had time to reflect, then returned and struck Taylor a second time before fleeing the scene. Shirah and Collier did not speak to police until the following day, which Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton said made it "more difficult to unravel what happened." Leyton believed the consumption of alcohol contributed to the events that followed the wedding.
Taylor, a father of three whose fiancée was pregnant at the time, was taken to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead. Eren Taylor, a cousin of the victim, addressed Shirah in court before sentencing, saying, "I hope that they throw the book at you."
Shirah was sentenced by Genesee County Circuit Court Judge Khary L. Hanible to 30 to 45 years for second-degree murder, with concurrent terms of 10 to 15 years each for operating a vehicle without a valid license, causing death, and failing to stop at the scene of an accident resulting in death. Judge Hanible told Shirah directly, "Mr. Shirah, I believe that you are not a criminal. You are, however, a killer."
In April 2026, Shirah had pleaded no contest to the charges the day before jury selection was set to begin, citing a "lack of memory and civil liability," according to court records reviewed by Court TV.
He was originally charged with open murder before prosecutors agreed to an amended charge of second-degree murder with no sentencing enhancements or consecutive sentences, People reported.
Sobbing in court, Shirah said: "The only thing I can do for the rest of my life is express my apology and remorse. I will forever be sorry." He maintained through his attorney that the crash was not intentional, a claim prosecutors disputed.
Collier, 23, pleaded guilty to one count of accessory after the fact to a felony and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 26.
Her defense attorneys have sought sentencing under Michigan's Holmes Youthful Trainee Act, which allows a qualifying youthful offender's case to be dismissed and sealed upon successful completion of probation, though prosecutors have objected to that request, as per Court TV.
