ruth901
They celebrate the wedding, drink, laugh – hours later the best man is dead, run over by his own friend.
A man who hit and killed his best friend and best man with his car on his wedding day is going to prison for a long time. A court in the US state of Michigan sentenced him to at least 30 years in prison.
James Shirah got into an argument with his best man during his wedding reception in August 2024. He then left the scene of the altercation for about a minute, got into his SUV and rammed his friend at high speed. According to witnesses, the 22-year-old was thrown through the air and did not survive the attack. The groom didn't go to the police until the next day.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” the prosecutor said. “I’ve seen people run over others, but not soon after a wedding.”
The 24-year-old perpetrator stated that he did not want to kill his long-time friend. “I will be forever sorry,” he said in court, according to local portal MLive. “It wasn't intentional, he was my best friend. I take full responsibility for the actions that night.”
Shirah was convicted of second-degree murder and hit-and-run. He can only be released on parole after 30 years at the earliest. The defense had argued that the crime was unintentional and the result of an argument under the influence of alcohol. Shirah's lawyers had argued for a prison sentence of 18 years.
However, the court did not follow this argument. The perpetrator had time to think before he returned after the argument and ran over his friend. The convicted man's newly wedded wife was also in the car. The verdict in her case is also expected to be pronounced this month.
