Did Mackenzie Shirilla practice route before accident? The Crash draws ire for shock omission

Netflix's documentary The Crash covers a fatal Ohio wreck involving teen driver Mackenzie Shirilla but omits key details from the trial.

Netflix’s new true‑crime documentary The Crash revolves around the story of a 100‑mph wreck in Ohio that killed two young people. The film dives into the trial, the legal strategy, and the life of Mackenzie Shirilla, the teen driver behind the wheel.

Netflix’s The Crash explores the ongoing fight by Steve Shirilla and Natalie Shirilla to overturn their daughter’s murder conviction. (Screenshot- X)

However, many viewers say the documentary misses out on the crucial point that prosecutors highlighted in court. Whether Shirilla had driven the same stretch of road in the weeks before the fatal crash. That detail could shape how audiences see her actions, but it is not clearly addressed in the film, many critics say.

What the doc covers and what it leaves out

In The Crash, the show walks through the final drive and the criminal charges of the trial. Court‑room footage and interviews show how prosecutors argued that it was not an accident but a deliberate act.

However, a story in Entertainment Weekly explained how the documentary does not mention reports that Shirilla had been on the same road days before the crash. Liz Burke wrote that the show “focuses heavily on the relationship, the mental‑health angle, and the aftermath, but leaves out certain pre‑crash claims that were part of the trial narrative.”

One of the details that the show misses out on is that some witnesses and legal filings suggested Shirilla had driven the same stretch of road in the days before the fatal drive. Prosecutors later used that to support the idea that she had planned the route and the speed.

Fan reactions and theories

Fans reacting on Reddit have pointed to that gap. A user on r/NetflixDocumentaries wrote, “Netflix didn’t cover what truly happened and how this psychopath killer had practiced driving on this road weeks before”.

Another on X posted, “If she really did dry‑run the route, that’s a huge piece of the puzzle they left out.”

For now, The Crash stays mostly focused on the emotional and psychological elements of the crash, while the suggestion that Shirilla may have practiced the route remains a detail that the film may never fully confront.