Show summary Hide summary
Netflix just released a shocking documentary that reconstructs a 100 mph intentional crash that killed two young friends. The Crash, now streaming, reveals how Ohio teen Mackenzie Shirilla, then 17 years old, crashed her vehicle into a brick building in Strongsville on July 31, 2022, marking a turning point from tragic accident to murder investigation.
🔥 Quick Facts
- Release Date: May 15, 2026, exclusively on Netflix
- The Victims: Dominic Russo, 20, and Davion Flanagan, 19, both killed instantly at scene
- Director & Producer: Gareth Johnson directed, Angharad Scott produced by RAW
- Conviction: Mackenzie Shirilla found guilty of two counts of aggravated murder, sentenced to 15 years to life
A Calculated Collision Disguised as Accident
The documentary opens on early morning July 31, 2022, when Mackenzie Shirilla was driving Dominic Russo and Davion Flanagan home from a high school graduation gathering in Strongsville, Ohio. What would unfold seemed like a tragic accident to first responders, but surveillance footage and forensic evidence soon painted a different picture. The car struck a brick building at nearly 100 miles per hour, leaving both passengers dead and the driver as the sole survivor.
Investigators discovered the car’s event data recorder showed no braking and the accelerator pressed 100 percent for the final five seconds before impact. The vehicle made a controlled, deliberate turn just before the collision, sparking detectives to shift from accident investigation to murder charges.
The Crash documentary reveals Ohio teen’s intentional crash that killed 2, now streaming on Netflix
Rod Stewart begins Vegas residency at Caesars Palace May 27
The Three People at the Center of the Case
Dominic Russo, 20, had been in a four-year relationship with Mackenzie and the pair had recently moved in together. His family described him as having entrepreneurial ambitions, with interests in stocks, cryptocurrency, and launching a clothing line. Davion Flanagan, 19, was a passionate athlete whose college football dreams were cut short by injury during his senior season. His presence in the car that night was a last-minute decision, a detail the documentary explores extensively.
Mackenzie Shirilla, 17 at the time, survived with multiple bone fractures and underwent several surgeries after being airlifted to the hospital. She was tried as an adult and maintains that she has no memory of the moments before the crash, claiming a medical emergency caused by POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome).
Evidence and Investigation Timeline
| Date | Event |
| July 31, 2022 | The Crash occurs at Strongsville, Ohio |
| August-September 2022 | Surveillance footage analyzed, forensic evidence collected |
| November 4, 2022 | Mackenzie arrested on two counts of aggravated murder |
| August 2023 | Bench trial begins before Judge Nancy Russo |
| 2024 | Judge rules guilty on both counts, sentences 15 years to life |
“There are those five seconds when no one knows what went on in that car. There are people who completely believe in her innocence, and people who completely believe that she’s guilty. It was much more interesting to us to work out how those people arrived at those conclusions and ultimately leave it up to the viewer to make up their own minds.”
— Angharad Scott, Producer
Social Media, Text Messages, and the Prosecution’s Case
The prosecution, led by Cuyahoga County assistant prosecutor Tim Troup, presented extensive digital evidence including text messages, TikToks, and phone recordings showing the relationship was volatile and combative. Two weeks before the crash, someone reported that Mackenzie drove erratically on the freeway with Dominic in the car, a moment prosecutors called ‘prior calculation’ of intent. Dominic’s mother testified about recordings where Mackenzie grew increasingly combative and threatened to end the relationship.
The documentary reveals Mackenzie’s social media presence played a controversial role in sentencing. After the crash but before her arrest, prosecutors pointed to her TikToks and posts showing her ‘living her best life’ as evidence of a ‘shocking lack of remorse’. When asked about this in her prison interview, Mackenzie stated: ‘I feel like anybody’s social media isn’t really them. It’s how they want the world to see them.’
Where Is Mackenzie Shirilla Now, and Can She Appeal?
Mackenzie Shirilla remains incarcerated and is serving a sentence of 15 years to life. Her first parole hearing is not scheduled until September 2037. Throughout the documentary, her parents Natalie and Steve Shirilla express their determination to fight the conviction, with her mother saying ‘We will fight, fight, fight, fight, fight, fight.’ However, her first appeal was denied, and the filmmakers note no major developments have occurred since filming wrapped.
For the first time, Mackenzie speaks publicly in the documentary from prison, with her lawyer present throughout their one-hour interview. When asked about her guilt, she maintains: ‘I’m not saying I’m innocent. I was a driver of a tragedy, but I’m not a murderer.’ She points to her POTS diagnosis as the likely cause, though she acknowledges she has no recollection of the crash and cannot fully explain how the condition would allow such precise vehicle control.
What Makes The Crash Essential True Crime Viewing?
The documentary reconstructs one of Ohio’s most high-profile murder cases with precision, drawing from bodycam footage, surveillance video, cell phone recordings, and courtroom material. Director Gareth Johnson and producer Angharad Scott deliberately leave room for interpretation, presenting evidence from multiple angles.
Beyond the case facts, The Crash examines how social media shapes perception of guilt and innocence, how teen relationships can turn toxic, and the devastating ripple effects when three lives collide in a single moment. The families of all three people involved share their voices, creating a complex portrait of a tragedy that transformed into one of Ohio’s most debated legal cases.
Sources
- Netflix Tudum – Official platform guides and exclusive interviews with filmmakers
- WKYC Cleveland – Local news coverage and case reporting
- Axios Cleveland – Investigation into the Strongsville case details
