Review of The Crash Rating ****
If The Crash proves anything, it’s that the American justice system is far from perfect. It’s a system where overzealous prosecutors thrive, where defense attorneys can sleepwalk through the most consequential cases of their careers, and where truth is often buried beneath narrative convenience. Do I believe McKenzie Shirilla is guilty of murder? No. And while the filmmakers do a commendable job laying out the story, they ultimately fall short of confronting the deeper failures that defined this case.
The Most Prejudicial “Fact” — And It Wasn’t Even True
The single most damaging moment in the trial was the testimony from Dominic Russo’s mother, who claimed McKenzie threatened to crash the car two weeks before the incident. That allegation was devastating — and it was false. Yet it was allowed to stand unchallenged, untested, and uncorrected.
This is where defense attorney James McDonnell failed catastrophically. This is what ineffective counsel looks like. He had a young girl’s life in his hands and did nothing with it. He called no witnesses. He ignored evidence pointing in a different direction. He let the prosecution’s narrative go unanswered. If you’re reading this because you’re considering hiring him, don’t. He is not your guy.
The Real Smoking Gun: The Slipper and the Black Box
As a retired pilot, I’ve seen how small mechanical entanglements can lead to catastrophic outcomes. I know of at least one crash caused by a boot heel getting caught beneath a rudder pedal. Early morning. Fatigue. A moment of inattention. That’s all it takes.
McKenzie was driving in slippers. One slipper was found wedged against the accelerator. That is your smoking gun.
The black box data reinforces this: the car was momentarily shifted into neutral — a classic sign of someone desperately trying to stop a runaway vehicle. What did Prosecutor Tim Troup do with this critical detail? He discarded it. It didn’t fit his narrative. That’s confirmation bias at work.
Where the Documentary Falls Short
The filmmakers had a real opportunity to dig deeper — to do the investigative work the defense never bothered to do. They could have consulted automotive experts. They could have challenged the prosecution’s dismissal of the slipper theory. They could have shown viewers the alternative explanation that was sitting in plain sight.
Instead, they let the prosecution’s framing dominate the narrative.
Remove the false claim from Dominic’s mother. Remove the irrelevant, inflammatory social media clips the prosecutor shamelessly weaponized. Remove the defense attorney who didn’t lift a finger to counter any of it. What’s left is not murder. What’s left is a tragic accident.
McKenzie was not suicidal. You don’t commit murder by putting your own life at equal risk. The charge was ridiculous. The trial was ridiculous. And the outcome was equally ridiculous.