The trial for a Strongsville teen accused of murder following a deadly crash that occurred last July is set to began today. Mackenzie Shirilla, 18, faces multiple charges – including murder, felonious assault and aggravated vehicle homicide – in connection with a deadly crash that killed two people in July of 2022. This past April, Shirilla pleaded not guilty as the judge continued her bond at $500,000 and assigned the case to Judge Nancy Margaret Russo. The judge also ordered a no-contact order. “That means yourself, your friends, your family members may not have any contact with the alleged victims’ families,” the judge told Shirilla. Strongsville police say the crash happened at 6:15 a.m. on Sunday, July 31, 2022, near the intersection of Progress and Alameda. Upon their arrival, officers say they located a Toyota Camry “with severe damage and full airbag deployments.” All three occupants inside the vehicle – including Shirilla – were unconscious, not breathing and trapped inside the vehicle. 19-year-old Davion Flanagan and 20-year-old Dominic Russo were both pronounced dead at the scene. Shirilla, who was 17 years old at the time of the crash, was taken to the hospital via Metro Life Flight. She was arrested months later in November. The mothers of both victims were in court during the arraignment in April as one of them addressed the judge. “This has been an absolutely devastating loss for our families,” Flanagan’s mother said, while adding, “we feel that Mackenzie is a threat to both herself and the community if she were to be released.”

WKYC