Why Did Mackenzie Shirilla Really Crash the Car? What Prosecutors Had to Say
The court said her actions were “controlled, methodical, deliberate, intentional, and purposeful.”
Published May 15 2026, 8:51 a.m. ET
As Netflix prepares to release The Crash, a true-crime documentary about the 2022 wreck that killed Dominic Russo and Davion Flanagan, folks are looking back on the case.
The documentary premieres on May 15, 2026, and digs into the crash, the relationship drama behind it, and the courtroom fight over what really happened.
The 90-minute documentary includes new interviews, police bodycam footage, text messages, and a closer look at the “volatile relationship” at the center of the case. Now, netizens want to know what motivated Mackenzie Shirilla to crash the car.
Why did Mackenzie Shirilla crash the car?
Prosecutors argued that Shirilla intentionally crashed the car to kill Dominic and Davion, per court documents. The court found that she acted on purpose after months of tension with Dominic. Testimony described their relationship as strained and filled with fighting, breakups, and threats.
One witness testified that, during an argument earlier in July 2022, Shirilla said, “I’m going to wreck this car right now.”
The judge pointed to several key details. Shirilla drove an unusual route, had been in the crash area days earlier, chose an early morning hour when fewer people would be around, pressed the accelerator to the floor, and did not brake before impact. The court said her actions were “controlled, methodical, deliberate, intentional, and purposeful.”
Investigators focused heavily on the car’s data and the crash reconstruction. The Toyota’s event data recorder showed Shirilla's foot pressed the accelerator all the way down and that she did not apply the brake before impact, according to the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office. Another crash expert found the car was going about 97 mph before leaving the roadway and about 80.5 mph when it hit the building.
The defense pushed back hard. Shirilla's side argued that she did not remember the crash and suggested that a medical issue, fainting, seizure, or another emergency could have caused her to lose control.
However, the appeals court later said the evidence supported the verdict. According to Court TV, the court cited the constant acceleration, previous threats, and evidence that Shirilla manually moved the car’s gearshift in the final seconds before impact.
Who were the victims?
The victims were Dominic Russo and Davion. Dominic was Shirilla's longtime boyfriend. His mother testified that the couple had been dating for about four years, and Shirilla had moved in with Dominic in late 2021 or early 2022. Davion was their friend.
According to A&E, the crash happened on July 31, 2022, around 5:30 a.m. Shirilla, who was 17 at the time, drove a Toyota Camry with two passengers inside. Her boyfriend, 20-year-old Dominic, and their friend, 19-year-old Davion. Prosecutors said she turned onto Progress Drive in Strongsville, accelerated to about 100 mph, drove through a business sign, and slammed into the PLIDCO Building, a brick structure near Progress Drive and Alameda Drive.
A good Samaritan found the crash site about 45 minutes later and called the police. Dominic and Davion died from blunt-force injuries, while Mackenzie survived with serious injuries.
A responding officer testified that the car looked “like it’s cut in half,” and he described the scene as “pretty severe.”