Where is Mackenzie Shirilla now? Netflix's 'The Crash' shares some gruesome details behind tragic incident
Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some; readers’ discretion is advised.
A 2022 murder case that made headlines in Northeast Ohio is now the subject of a Netflix true-crime documentary. 'The Crash' on Netflix sheds significant light on the Strongsville murder case, which involved the then 17-year-old Mackenzie Shirilla causing a car crash while driving with her boyfriend Dominic Russo and his friend Daviod Flanagan. The two boys were 20 and 19 years old, respectively, when Shirilla drove their car into a brick wall at breakneck speed. Miraculously, Shirilla survived and was subsequently found guilty of murder.
As detailed in the documentary, the people of Strongsville, Ohio, woke up to the tragic news on the morning of July 31, 2022, that a car crash had claimed the lives of two best friends who were traveling together. Shirilla reportedly was driving the car at 100 miles per hour and crashed into the side of the Plidco building on Alameda Drive. Earlier that day, Shirilla had picked up her boyfriend, Russo, and friend, Flanagan, from a high school graduation party and was driving them home. The impact of the crash killed Russo on the spot, while Flanagan remained alive but was subsequently pronounced dead by the time the rescue helicopter arrived on the scene. Perhaps the most shocking aspect of the case, as indicated in the documentary's trailer, is that an otherwise routine car crash soon became a crime scene after investigators began looking in the right direction.
Tim Troup, the assistant prosecutor in the case, speaks in 'The Crash' about the forensic analysis of the wreck, which facilitates a breakthrough. The preliminary investigation had discovered Shirilla's slipper wedged to the car's accelerator. Although initially believed to be the cause of the crash, the investigation later revealed that it had been fixed in place by the crash. Moreover, investigators also discovered that in the moments leading up to the crash, Shirilla had made no attempt to brake and had instead floored the accelerator at 100 miles per hour. It was owing to this that the prosecution was able to win the judgment that blamed Russo and Flanagan's death on Shirilla's shoulders.
The Netflix documentary also uses the testimony of Highway Patrol officer Sergeant Ryan Fox, who highlights the importance of the car's electronic data recording system. This apparatus, akin to an aircraft's Black Box, records data that could help explain the final moments before a car crash. The system's readings indicated that Russo and Flanagan may have tried to wrest the steering wheel from Shirilla's control by pushing a hard right turn more than once. 'The Crash' is exclusively available on Netflix starting Friday.
