Credit: Netflix

Directed by Gareth Johnson, The Crash is a chilling true crime movie currently streaming on Netflix that revisits the real-life 2022 incident that shook the entire Strongsville community in Ohio.

On July 31st, 2022, 17-year-old Mackenzie Shirilla was driving her boyfriend, Dominic “Dom” Russo, and his friend, Davion Flanagan, from a high school graduation gathering when the car crashed into a side of a building at a reported speed of 100 kmph. The crash killed both Dominic and Davion, leaving Mackenzie as the sole survivor.

Although the incident originally came across as a terrifying accident, when investigators ruled out possible explanations and dug deeper into the wreckage, the investigation turned into that of a calculated crime. The authorities discovered that Mackenzie took a deliberate turn before intentionally speeding up the car and pressing the accelerator a 100% with no attempts to hit the brake.

She was eventually convicted and sentenced to two concurrent terms of 15 years to life in prison. While The Crash addresses most of the insights into the case, a few details remain missing from the documentary. To know what they are, read on.

Four important details missing from The Crash

Mackenzie Shirilla’s conversation with her mother

According to PEOPLE, The Crash didn’t feature the audio recording taken by police between Mackenzie and her mother, Natalie Shirilla, during the former’s hospital interview. Assistant Prosecutor Tim Troup described the language they speak in the audio as “unique,” presumably a version of Pig Latin.

The conversation takes place right after Detective Zaki Hazou informs the mother-daughter duo that she’s being investigated for aggravated vehicular homicide when Mackenzi starts speaking in an initially unidentifiable language. It was only later that the police said they had determined what the conversation was about.

“Can we tell the police I had a seizure? Can we tell the police something like that?” Mackenzie reportedly asked her mother. She then turned to Hazou, saying, “Can’t you just take my license away for like, 10 years?”

The audio turned out to be crucial for Mackenzie’s conviction since the defence lawyers had argued and alleged she passed out due to the chronic medical condition postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), despite the lack of proof of diagnosis.

As per court documents, first responder Brett Stanislaw said in court that her “pulse, motor, and sensation in her four extremities” were normal, “which he said ruled out a stroke, seizure, or other significant neurological emergencies.” He later acknowledged that before his arrival, she could have suffered a seizure since his diagnosis is limited to the time he was with her after the crash.

Dominic Russo’s sister’s explosive claim against Mackenzie Shirilla’s mother

In the immediate aftermath of the crash, the Russo family were worried about Mackenzie Shirilla and her condition. But when they checked in on their family, Dominic Russo’s sister, Christine, claimed that Natalie Shirilla lied about Mackenzie’s health status in a YouTube video posted May 11th. “We thought it was an accident for a while, and we were really, really worried about Mackenzie and how she was doing. We were seeing how she was for about three days; her mother told us that she was unconscious and hadn’t woken up,” she alleged. She also claimed that her mother said how she was “terrified” to tell about Dominic and Davion to Mackenzie.

“Natalie told me, my dad, and my sister for days that she was unconscious. And now looking back, she was waiting to form her story,” Christine added. According to NBC News, when cops found Mackenzie, she was unconscious. She was immediately taken to the hospital for treatment. That said, there’s reportedly no record available that says she was unconscious for three days. What makes the case worse is that Mackenzie even shared pictures from the hospital during the treatment.

Mackenzie Shirilla’s alleged confession to a doctor

After Mackenzie was transferred to the hospital, she was informed about Dominic and Davion’s deaths. The court documents state that the medical examiner had recorded that she was “depressed and felt grief, guilt, and shame.” “She said she ‘wanted to die’ and expressed that it was ‘her fault for killing her boyfriend,’” they wrote, according to the court documents.

Mackenzie also reportedly texted Dominic’s brother, Angel Russo, after the tragic crash, as per messages shared with the police. A text from August of that year read, “I know you probably think this is all my fault… I wish that he was here, too. This should have never happened… I really do feel bad. It’s killing me.”

Dominic Russo’s gravesite was set ablaze

Nearly a year after the horrific crash, Dominic Russo’s gravesite was allegedly reduced to ashes. His sister, Christine, shared about the incident in June 2023 on a GoFundMe fundraiser. “His grave was set on fire, and everything burned to the ground,” she said with a picture of the burned gravesite.

“Nothing was salvageable except a cement cross. Most of the items were irreplaceable (flowers and ribbon from his funeral, letters from his nieces and nephews and friends and siblings and parents, stuffed animals, things that can’t be replaced).” Christine requested donations to restore the gravesite, and a few months later, she shared an update on the recreated gravesite, showering gratitude to everyone who helped.