A new Netflix documentary titled The Crash delves into the disturbing details of a 100mph car crash that resulted in two fatalities. The driver, Mackenzie Shirilla, now 21, is serving a 15-years-to-life sentence after being convicted of murder. The documentary examines the volatile relationship between Shirilla and her boyfriend Dominic Russo, which prosecutors argued was the motive behind the calculated crash.
The Fatal Night
In the early hours of July 31, 2022, Shirilla, then 17, was driving her 2018 Toyota Camry with Russo, 20, and his friend Davion Flanagan, 19, after attending a party in Strongsville, Ohio. Minutes after leaving, she accelerated to 100mph and plowed into a brick building. Russo and Flanagan were pronounced dead at the scene, while Shirilla suffered serious injuries.
Prosecutors argued during the 2023 trial that Shirilla intentionally crashed the car, describing her as being on a mission to kill Russo. She claimed to have no memory of the crash. However, evidence from the car’s event data recorder showed the accelerator was fully depressed with no braking applied seconds before impact. Her Prada slipper was found trapped between the pedal and floor mat.
Toxic Relationship
Russo’s mother, Christine, testified that the couple’s relationship had been strained for six months, with frequent fights, breakups, and threats. She described Shirilla as becoming increasingly possessive of her son. The couple had been dating on and off for four years and moved in together in late 2021.
Investigation and Trial
Detectives uncovered over 100 instances of reckless driving on Shirilla’s social media, including a TikTok post boasting about doing drugs. At the time of the crash, she was under the influence of marijuana and had psilocybin mushrooms in her possession. In August 2023, she was found guilty of two counts of aggravated vehicular homicide and four counts of felonious assault. Judge Nancy Margaret Russo called her literal hell on wheels and stated, “This was not reckless driving — this was murder.”
Where Is Mackenzie Shirilla Now?
Shirilla is incarcerated at the Ohio Reformatory for Women in Marysville, Ohio. In March 2026, the Eighth District Court of Appeals upheld the denial of a new trial due to her legal team filing the motion one day late. Her first parole hearing is scheduled for September 2037.
The Crash is now streaming on Netflix, offering a deep dive into the case and the shifting narratives surrounding that fateful night.
