Mackenzie Shirilla and the 2022 Car Crash

Introduction

Mackenzie Shirilla is in prison for life. She caused a car crash in Ohio in 2022. Two people died in the crash.

Main Body

In July 2022, Mackenzie drove a car very fast. She hit a brick wall at 100 mph. Two friends, Dominic and Davion, died. Mackenzie did not use the brakes. She used drugs before the crash. The judge said Mackenzie killed the men on purpose. She and Dominic had a bad relationship. She told him before that she wanted to crash the car. In 2023, the judge said she was guilty of murder. She got a life sentence. Mackenzie's parents say she is not guilty. They say she was sick and passed out. They asked other courts for help, but the courts said no. Now, a Netflix movie tells this story. The families of the dead men are very sad.

Conclusion

Mackenzie is in a women's prison in Ohio. She cannot leave until at least 2037.

Learning

🕒 The 'Past' Action Pattern

In this story, we see how to talk about things that already happened. Most of these words end in -ed. This is the simplest way to tell a story in English.

The Pattern:

  • Drive →\rightarrow Drove (Special word)
  • Hit →\rightarrow Hit (Does not change)
  • Use →\rightarrow Used
  • Tell →\rightarrow Told (Special word)
  • Want →\rightarrow Wanted

💡 Quick Logic: 'Did not' + Base Word

When we want to say something did not happen, we use did not and the word goes back to its normal form. We don't use -ed here.

❌ She did not used the brakes. ✅ She did not use the brakes.


đŸ› ī¸ Useful Words for A2

WordMeaningExample
GuiltyDid the crimeShe was guilty.
On purposeNot an accidentShe did it on purpose.
Passed outFell asleep/unconsciousShe passed out.

Vocabulary Learning

prison
a place where people are kept as punishment for crimes
Example:She is in prison for life.
crash
to hit hard and break something
Example:The car crash caused many injuries.
judge
a person who decides cases in court
Example:The judge gave a new sentence.
sentence
a punishment decided by a judge
Example:The judge decided a harsh sentence.
relationship
a connection or bond between people
Example:They had a good relationship before the accident.
brakes
devices in a car that stop it
Example:She did not use the brakes.
drugs
medicines or substances that can change how you feel
Example:He took drugs before driving.
murder
the act of killing someone on purpose
Example:The court found him guilty of murder.
Netflix
a company that shows movies and TV shows online
Example:Netflix released a movie about the case.
family
people related by blood, marriage, or close ties
Example:The families of the dead men were very sad.