Recently, Netflix created a documentary regarding a tragic car accident that happened in July 2022 called “The Crash,” which has gone viral within the past few weeks. Mackenzie Shirilla was the driver who crashed the car with her boyfriend Dominick Russo and friend Davion Flanagan as passengers. Netflix decided to do a documentary including family and friends who were involved with the incident, to get their sides of the story.
Julia Tejeda, a junior at NVD who has watched the documentary, has many thoughts of what she thinks is true or false. Her first reaction to what happened wasn’t what she was expecting.
“I thought that it was crazy, especially considering that Mackenzie wanted to do the documentary to ‘share her story’ but she claimed she didn’t remember. I think that Shirilla was crazy and maybe had suicidal intentions because she crashed the car sustaining many injuries,” Tejeda said.
Viewers have many different opinions on what happened. Shirilla claims at the end of the documentary when she was being interviewed that she doesn’t remember anything. Tejeda shares her thoughts about what was said.
“I do not believe what Shirilla said. If she really had bad episodes from POTS [Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome is a condition that affects the autonomic nervous system] she would not be driving. I also think that there must have been some other motive and it wasn’t an accident,” Tejeda said.
Whether it was Shirilla making excuses or pretending she doesn’t know what happened, no one will know the actual reason for her actions. She won’t speak without a lawyer present.
Patty Helfenbein, a teacher’s assistant at NVD, has strong feelings about the documentary. What stood out the most to her was what happened minutes before the crash.
“The thing that stuck out the most was the way she was able to maneuver the car through the winding streets before slamming into the building and that she was there at the scene days before,” Helfenbein said.
When the court date came around, the families of the victims in the crash were allowed to speak and say what they needed to say. Helfenbein shared her thoughts about the documentary.
“I believe the parents of the two boys killed spoke very clearly and eloquently as to hoping it was an accident to knowing that she did it on purpose,” Helfenbein said.
Alanna Decosta, a Spanish teacher at NVD, was very interested in this Netflix documentary about Shirilla. According to the statistics, the car was going over 100 miles an hour straight into a building without any attempt to use the brakes. But before the crash she made a right hand turn at a light that was very controlled and deliberate. Here’s what Decosta has to say about what stood out to her the most.
“What stood out to me most was how quickly the case changed from what appeared to be a tragic accident into a murder investigation. The vehicle data, the speed of the car, and the lack of braking became major factors in the investigation and trial,” Decosta said.
Whether this crash was accidental or on purpose, the lack of information from Shirilla makes investigators question if she’s telling the truth. When Shirilla’s parents were interviewed, the question was if they were making excuses for their daughter’s actions.
“In my opinion, her parents appeared to focus on explanations that supported her innocence, such as possible medical issues and her character. Some viewers may see that as making excuses, while others may view it as parents trying to support their child during a difficult situation. I think their responses reflected their desire to believe the crash was not intentional rather than a lack of concern for the victims. So yes, I think they made excuses for Mackenzie’s actions,” Decosta said.
