Netflix doc revisits fatal crash: Murder or medical emergency?

A 2023 jury conviction of Mackenzie Shirilla for murder is being re-examined in Netflix's documentary "The Crash." Shirilla, then 17, was found responsible for the July 31, 2022, deaths of Dominic Russo and Davion Flanagan when her car collided with a brick wall in Strongsville, Ohio, at high speed.

Shirilla maintains she has no memory of the crash and suggests a medical condition, POTS, may have caused her to pass out. However, her defense did not present medical records to support this at trial. Prosecutors argued evidence, including car data and surveillance footage, indicated intentional actions, possibly to end a relationship.

Now 21 and serving 15 years to life, Shirilla speaks from prison in "The Crash," asserting she is not a "monster" and thinks of the victims daily. Her parents also appear, reiterating their belief in a medical emergency and claiming they have new evidence. The documentary also touches on accounts from before the crash, including alleged threats made by Shirilla, which her parents dispute.

Appeals for Shirilla have been denied, but she and her family continue to contest the conviction. Her first parole hearing is scheduled for September 2037. The families of Russo and Flanagan have expressed their grief, noting their loved ones' lives were "completely stolen" and that they will not return in 15 years.