Ever since Netflix aired The Crash, documenting the harrowing ‘Hell on Wheels’ case of Ohio on May 15, 2026, it has sparked renewed fascination and controversy around Mackenzie Shirilla. The Ohio teen was convicted of intentionally crashing her car into a building in 2022, killing her boyfriend, Dominic “Dom” Russo, and his friend, Davion Flanagan.
With the documentary revisiting the tragedy through interviews, surveillance footage, courtroom evidence, and Mackenzie’s first public comments, not only has her father’s employment become unstable, but the central question has also returned. The internet has been wondering what could have been the teen’s motive behind the double murder, if it was in fact part of her premeditated plan.
What is the true story behind The Crash?
The Crash, directed by Gareth Johnson, walks its viewers through a criminal case of a 2022 car crash that shook Strongsville, Ohio. On July 31, 2022, then-17-year-old Mackenzie Shirilla was driving a Toyota Camry through Strongsville, Ohio, with her boyfriend, 20-year-old Dominic Russo, and their friend, 19-year-old Davion Flanagan, inside the car. According to reports, Shirilla was driving Dom and Davion from a friend’s house early in the morning when she crashed the car into a commercial building. Dominic and Davion died instantly, while Mackenzie survived with severe injuries after multiple surgeries.
Prosecutors later argued that Mackenzie accelerated the vehicle to nearly 100 mph before slamming into the Plidco building. After toxicology reports revealed that Shirilla had no alcohol in her system, officials began to investigate the case as murder. The prosecution used the teen’s persona as an influencer as criminal evidence in court that she intentionally murdered her boyfriend and his friend. Investigators pointed to the absence of skid marks or any signs that indicated braking attempts as evidence, and argued that the crash was deliberate.
Besides surveillance footage and phone records, testimonies claiming that Mackenzie allegedly threatened to crash her car during earlier arguments with Dominic were also presented in court. Although she continued to plead her innocence, Judge Nancy Margaret Russo ultimately described the crash as “controlled, methodical, deliberate, intentional, and purposeful”. In August 2023, Mackenzie was convicted on multiple murder-related charges and was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.
What was Mackenzie Shirilla’s motive behind the fatal crash?
One thing that has surfaced repeatedly online is whether the crash was a premeditated murder-suicide attempt or if Mackenzie believed she would somehow survive. Prosecutors say the crash was not an accident, but a carefully calculated plan, with roots in the breakdown of Mackenzie and Dom’s allegedly toxic relationship, and the latter’s alleged possessiveness.
Investigators claimed killing the boyfriend had been the primary motive, but the other victim, Davion Flanagan, may not have been the intended target. However, considering that Mackenzie was well aware of the consequences when she took the wheel, the court ruled both deaths as intentional murder under Ohio law.
Did Mackenzie Shirilla intend to die, too?
Viewers have been divided about the psychological motive of the horrific crash. If Mackenzie truly planned the collision, did she expect to die alongside the two passengers? While there is no definitive answer, The Crash presents conflicting perspectives from investigators, family members, and Mackenzie herself.
Mackenzie has always said the crash wasn’t intentional. In the Netflix doc, she says she doesn’t remember the crash and suggests a medical condition could have played a role. Her legal team has said in the past that she experienced POTS, or Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, which can cause episodes of dizziness and passing out.
Where is Mackenzie Shirilla now?
Now 21, Shirilla remains incarcerated at the Ohio Reformatory for Women in Marysville, Ohio, where she is serving her 15-to-life imprisonment sentence. She was sentenced to two concurrent life terms, with the first parole hearing slated for 2037. Meanwhile, the renewed attention on the case has now spilled into Mackenzie’s family life as well. Her father, Steve Shirilla, who appeared in the documentary, was reportedly placed on administrative leave from his teaching job at Mary Queen of Peace School in Cleveland after the documentary’s release.
What are your thoughts on Mackenzie Shirilla’s alleged intention behind the crash?
Read Next: ‘The Crash’ On Netflix, Where Is Mackenzie Shirilla, 17-Year-Old Found Guilty Of Murdering BF Now?
