Newlyweds Enter Pleas Following Fatal Wedding Night Collision

James Shirah and Savanah Collier have averted a criminal trial by entering pleas just one day before jury selection was set to commence in Flint, Michigan. Shirah, 24, entered a no-contest plea to charges of second-degree homicide, operating a vehicle without a valid license, and leaving the scene of a fatal crash. His wife, 23-year-old Savanah Collier, pleaded guilty to the charge of accessory after the fact to a felony. The legal proceedings stem from an August 2024 incident where the couple’s groomsman, 29-year-old Terry Lewis Taylor Jr., was struck and killed by an SUV following an argument at a post-wedding gathering.

Investigators report that the altercation occurred at a private residence after the wedding reception. Witnesses and evidence indicate that Shirah accelerated his vehicle toward Taylor, who was standing in the street, before fleeing the scene. While Shirah cited a lack of memory regarding the event as the basis for his no-contest plea, prosecutors have moved forward with the case, noting the unusual and tragic timing of the violence. Collier is currently seeking sentencing under Michigan’s Holmes Youthful Trainee Act, a request that faces opposition from the prosecution. Both defendants are slated for sentencing before Judge Khary Hanible in May.