Netflix Releases The Crash With Mackenzie Shirilla Now Interview
Netflix’s The Crash arrives on May 15 with mackenzie shirilla now speaking for the first time about the July 31, 2022 crash in Strongsville, Ohio. The 90-minute documentary centers on the wreck that killed Dominic Russo and Davion Flanagan, and on the case that followed.
Shirilla, then 17, drove Russo, 20, and Flanagan, 19, home from a high school graduation party before accelerating her Toyota Camry to 100 miles per hour and hitting a brick building head-on. Emergency responders found all three unconscious, with two dead on arrival, and Shirilla was airlifted to a local hospital and underwent multiple surgeries.
Gareth Johnson On The Crash
Director Gareth Johnson said he was drawn to the story after his own crash experience. “I think it's sort of the worst thing that could happen to you as a parent,” he said, adding, “There's lots of warnings in this film about when things go wrong, and how badly things go wrong.”
Johnson also said he “wanted to flip my experience on its head and understand the tragic event from the perspective of the family and friends around it.” The documentary includes archival body-cam footage, new surveillance video, social media clips, and interviews with friends, family members, and investigators, plus Shirilla’s first interview on the case.
Cuyahoga County Trial
Prosecutors charged Shirilla with murder and said she intentionally caused the crash after her relationship with Russo had unraveled. Her lawyer argued that she had POTS, a blood pressure disorder that can cause momentary blackouts.
A Cuyahoga County judge found her guilty on multiple counts in a 2023 bench trial and described her actions as “controlled, methodical, deliberate, intentional and purposeful.” Shirilla was sentenced to life in prison with the opportunity for parole after 15 years.
May 15 Release
The crash and Shirilla’s case drew national attention throughout August 2022, and the film returns to that record with body-cam footage, surveillance video, and interviews from people around the case. For viewers, the immediate change is simple: the story moves from court records and headlines to Shirilla’s own account when the documentary streams on May 15.
