Teen Driver Under Scrutiny After Fatal Crash Kills Boyfriend and Friend
Translated from Estonian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
- A 17-year-old girl, Mackenzie Shirilla, is under scrutiny after a high-speed crash killed her boyfriend and a friend.
- Investigators are examining security footage and the car's data recorder, which show the vehicle traveling at approximately 160 km/h without any sign of braking.
- Shirilla, who survived the crash with serious injuries, claims to have no memory of the incident.
Questions are swirling around 17-year-old Mackenzie Shirilla following a tragic car crash that claimed the lives of her boyfriend, Dominic Russo, and a friend, Davion Flanagan. The incident occurred in the early hours of July 31, 2022, when Shirilla was driving her Toyota Camry at high speed into a brick industrial building.
While Shirilla sustained serious injuries and survived, both Russo and Flanagan died at the scene. The case has garnered significant media attention due to disturbing details uncovered by investigators. Security camera footage and the vehicle's "black box" data recorder painted a grim picture of the moments leading up to the crash.
The car reportedly reached speeds of around 160 kilometers per hour (approximately 100 mph) before impact. Crucially, there was no indication of braking or any attempt to swerve. The vehicle maintained a straight trajectory directly into the wall, with the driver's foot reportedly on the accelerator the entire time.
Shirilla herself has stated that she has no recollection of the event. As police delve deeper into her life and her relationship with Dominic Russo, the circumstances surrounding the fatal crash remain under intense investigation, with authorities seeking to understand the sequence of events and Shirilla's role.
Originally published by Postimees in Estonian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.