Grosse Pointe teen pleads guilty in fatal crash that killed 18-year-old man
A Grosse Pointe, Michigan, teen who was charged in a fatal crash that killed an 18-year-old in 2023 entered a guilty plea on Friday, according to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office.
The 17-year-old pled guilty to manslaughter with a motor vehicle with an adult designation. He will be sentenced on June 6.
Prosecutors alleged that on Nov. 17, 2023, the teen was driving at high speed in a residential area when he lost control of the car and struck a utility pole and a tree in the area of Ridge and Moran roads. The passenger in the car, 18-year-old Flyn Mackrell, from Grosse Pointe, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The teen was initially charged with second-degree murder. Police say the teen was driving over 100 miles per hour where the speed limit in the area was 25 mph.
In July, the prosecutor's office received a letter from Mackrell's mother requesting that the teen's mother be charged, alleging that she was negligent regarding her son's driving. At the time, Mackrell's parents compared the case to the Oxford High School shooter, Ethan Crumbley, and his parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley, who became the first parents in the U.S. to be held responsible for their child's actions in a school shooting.
However, the prosecutor's office said the mother would not face any charges. In its decision to deny the warrant request, the prosecutor's office said the teen's mother "has consistently taken reasonable measures to assert parental control over her son over the years as it relates to his general behavior and his driving leading up to the fatal car crash."
"Parenting is hard in the best of circumstances. Most parents do everything they can to mentor their children and steer them in the right direction," Prosecutor Kym Worthy said in a statement at the time. "The juvenile respondent's mother was no different. She took consistent, active steps to try to make sure that he stayed on the right path. There will be those that say she should have done more, but we have looked at all of the facts and those facts dictate no criminal charges here. We will not be more specific about her actions because her son will be facing trial in February.
In August, police released a new video showing the teen behind the wheel, driving at almost 140 miles per hour, days before the fatal crash. CBS News Detroit obtained the shocking video along with a detailed report that shows police responded to multiple calls about the teen's alleged violence and speeding. Those police records show his mother was concerned about his driving.
The video above previously aired on Dec. 10, 2024.
