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Driver's Blackout Claims Surface Before Fatal Crash
28 May
Summary
- Mackenzie Shirilla reported blackouts in text messages before the 2022 crash.
- Shirilla's defense claims a medical condition caused her to lose consciousness.
- An appeal argues prior legal counsel inadequately investigated a medical condition.
Text messages obtained reveal Mackenzie Shirilla, then 17, reported experiencing blackouts in 2020 and again weeks before a July 31, 2022, crash that killed her boyfriend, Dominic Russo, 20, and friend Davion Flanagan, 19. Shirilla drove her vehicle at nearly 100 mph into a brick building in Strongsville, Ohio.
Convicted of double murder in 2023 and sentenced to 15 years to life, Shirilla's defense asserts she lost consciousness due to a medical condition. Prosecutors presented evidence, including car data showing the accelerator was fully pressed with no braking in the moments before impact, to argue the crash was intentional.
Shirilla's case has gained recent attention due to a Netflix documentary. She stated on camera that she had no recollection of the morning but believes the incident was not intentional due to her character. She expressed deep remorse for the victims and their families.
An appeal filed with the Ohio Supreme Court on April 27, 2026, claims Shirilla has a pre-existing medical condition that could have caused blackouts. The filing argues her previous attorney failed to adequately investigate and secure expert testimony regarding this medical defense. The court has yet to decide whether to hear the appeal.
