Netflix’s latest true crime documentary revisits a devastating car crash that left two teenagers dead and put another behind bars.

Where is Mackenzie Shirilla now — and what does she think really happened during The Crash?

Netflix’s latest true crime documentary revisits a devastating car crash that left two teenagers dead and put another behind bars.

May 19, 2026 11:52 a.m. ET

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Mackenzie Shirilla, as seen in 'The Crash'; Shirilla now. Credit:

Netflix; Ohio Reformatory for Women

- In 2022, Mackenzie Shirilla was arrested after a car crash left her friend and boyfriend dead.

- Shirilla was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison after prosecutors argued she intentionally caused the crash.

- The case is explored in a new Netflix documentary, *The Crash*.

In 2022, Ohio teen Mackenzie Shirilla crashed her car into the side of a building, killing 20-year-old boyfriend Dominic Russo and 19-year-old friend Davion Flanagan, and sparking a debate over what caused the tragic incident. The polarizing case is the subject of a new Netflix documentary, *The Crash*, which notably features the first interview with Shirilla about what happened that day.

Released on May 15, *The Crash *examines the events surrounding the devastating crash and its aftermath. The incident occurred on the morning of July 31, 2022, when Shirilla, accompanied by Russo and Flanagan, drove her 2018 Toyota Camry head-first into a brick building at nearly 100 mph. Prosecutors argued that Shirilla intentionally caused the crash, with witnesses testifying to her “toxic” relationship and arguments with Russo. The jury agreed: Shirilla was convicted of murdering Russo and Flanagan and received two 15 years-to-life sentences, to be served concurrently (i.e., at the same time).

*The Crash* introduces additional evidence and lets Shirilla tell her side of the story on camera for the first time, renewing the debate over whether she intentionally killed Russo and Flanagan — and whether prosecutors had enough evidence to prove it beyond a reasonable doubt.

With the documentary topping the Netflix charts, let's take a look at where Mackenzie Shirilla is today.

Who is Mackenzie Shirilla?

Mackenzie Shirilla, as seen in 'The Crash'.

Mackenzie Shirilla was born on August 2, 2004, and raised in Strongsville, Ohio by her parents, Natalie and Steve Shirilla. Mackenzie met Russo, who was three years her senior, while they were both students at Strongsville High School. After Shirilla graduated in 2022, she moved in with Russo. The pair dated for four years, during which they broke up and got back together “many times,” according to Russo’s brother, Angelo. Friends and family members testified that Shirilla and Russo argued frequently in the months leading up to the crash.

Much of what was known about Shirilla prior to *The Crash* came from episodes of true-crime docuseries devoted to the case: The “Murder on Wheels” episode of *Killer Cases* and the “Under the Influence” episode of *Mean Girl Murders*. According to classmates, Shirilla was a fan of the 2004 movie *Mean Girls* and in particular the character Regina George, whom she liked to imitate.

Like most teens, Shirilla was active on social media and had a TikTok account, videos from which were used as evidence during the trial. Among them were videos that investigators said showed Shirilla driving recklessly and smoking what appeared to be marijuana while behind the wheel.

Prosecutors pointed to one video, posted months after the crash, to prove that Shirilla did not feel remorse about her actions. In the video, Shirilla and two friends are dressed up in costumes and makeup for Halloween. “Dressing up as corpses three months after she killed two people, it just sickened us to the very core,” Davion’s father, Scott Flanagan, says in the documentary. “We’re not seeing her post videos of her mourning or videos of her regret. We were seeing posts of her living her best life.”

Shirilla defends the videos in *The Crash*, explaining, “I feel like anybody’s social media isn’t really them. It’s how they want the world to see them.”

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Where did the crash happen?

Dominic Russo and Mackenzie Shirilla, as seen in 'The Crash'.

The crash happened at 5:30 a.m. on July 31, 2022, in Strongsville, a suburb of Cleveland in Ohio. Shirilla was driving her Toyota Camry when it crashed into the exterior wall of a brick building, at the intersection of Alameda and Progress Drive. Law enforcement officials responded to the scene at 6:20 a.m., where they found 17-year-old Shirilla behind the wheel and 19-year-old Russo in the front seat, with 20-year-old Flanagan lying on top of him. Russo and Flanagan were pronounced dead on the scene.

Shirilla suffered broken bones and was airlifted to a nearby hospital, where a blood alcohol test determined she was not under the influence at the time of the crash. According to her father in *The Crash*, Shirilla suffered a broken femur, three broken ribs, a lacerated liver, and a lacerated kidney. Investigators discovered bags containing psilocybin mushrooms and marijuana. Testing determined that Russo and Flanagan were under the influence of marijuana at the time of death.

Why did Mackenzie Shirilla crash the car?

Mackenzie Shirilla in a courtroom, as seen in 'The Crash'.

This is the debate at the heart of the case, and *The Crash *introduces evidence and perspectives that, at the very least, shed doubt on the prosecution’s version of events.

According to prosecutors, Shirilla intentionally crashed her car in an effort to hurt Russo. Speaking to Cleveland’s WKYC after the verdict, Tim Troup of the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office said, “There is no doubt that this happened because of the relationship with Dominic, and the defendant’s intent was clearly to end that, and she took everybody that was in the car with her.”

A forensic analysis determined that Shirilla’s foot was fully depressing the accelerator pedal and that the brake pedal was not in use in the moments preceding the crash. Prosecutors pointed to an event on July 17, 2022, just two weeks before the crash, when Shirilla and Russo got into an argument. When Russo called his mother and asked for her to pick him up, a friend testified that he overheard Shirilla say, “I will crash this car right now.” The friend said that when he arrived to pick up Russo, he observed Shirilla “striking Dominic with both of her hands. Dominic then exited the vehicle and left.”

During another argument that July, Russo recorded Shirilla, who could be seen “repeatedly degrading Dominic, threatening him, and damaging his property” in the footage. Shirilla threatened to key Russo’s car, and was recorded saying, “You’re gonna come open this door right now or there’s gonna be a serious f---ing problem.”

Shirilla’s defense attorneys argued that the relationship conflicts were not one-sided. In additional text messages shown in *The Crash*, Shirilla referred to Russo cheating on her. Friends confirmed that Russo’s infidelity created trust issues between the couple.

Mackenzie Shirilla being interviewed for 'The Crash'.

As recounted in the documentary, Shirilla was never formally interviewed by police, nor did she testify at her own trial. Shirilla was said to be “confused” but alert following the crash. When a detective visited her in the hospital, she was speaking a “unique language” comparable to pig latin, and asked her mom if they could just tell police she had a seizure. Shirilla’s mom, Natalie, testified that her daughter was diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, or POTS, a condition that can cause increased heart rate, dizziness, and fainting.

In May 2025, Shirilla’s parents told WKYC that neurologist Dr. Kamal Chemali analyzed evidence from Mackenzie that is “consistent with loss of consciousness” during the time of the crash. Shirilla’s parents believe, and her defense team argued, that she suffered a medical event. “The most logical speculation seems to be a medical emergency,” Shirilla says in the doc, though she’s “unsure” how she was able to retain control of the vehicle.

Shirilla maintains that she does not remember the crash or the moments leading up to it. “I have no recollection of that morning, but I know nothing about it was intentional, because that’s not in my character,” she says in *The Crash*.

Where is Mackenzie Shirilla now?

Mackenzie Shirilla via the Ohio Reformatory for Women.

Ohio Reformatory for Women

Now 21 years old, Shirilla is currently incarcerated at the Ohio Reformatory for Women. Her conviction was upheld on appeal in September 2024, and the Ohio Supreme Court declined to hear the case. Shirilla’s first parole hearing is set for September 2037. In the meantime, her legal team continues to file appeals.

“It's really hard every day in here,” Shirilla says in *The Crash*. “I try to wake up and be the best person I can be every day, stay out of trouble. There's not a moment that doesn't pass where I don't think about [Russo and Flanagan].”

Speaking with PEOPLE in 2023, Russo’s sister said Shirilla should have been ordered to serve her sentences consecutively. “My brother's life and [Flanagan]’s life was completely stolen,” she said. “They don't get out in 15 years. They don't come back in 15 years. They don't get any chance to live a life.”

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Where can I watch The Crash?

*The Crash* is available to stream on Netflix.

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Source: “EW Documentary”