Driver avoids prison in 100-mph crash that killed college student
A Michigan mother is heartbroken again after the teenager who killed her son in a 2023 car crash was spared prison time during his sentencing last week.
Grosse Pointe police initially responded to the single-vehicle crash on Nov. 17, 2023, and located the defendant, Kiernan Tague, belted into the driver's seat, and the 18-year-old victim, Flynn MacKrell, unresponsive and belted into the passenger seat.
Prosecutors accused Tague of driving about 100 mph in a 25-mph zone around 9 p.m. when he crashed the vehicle into a telephone pole.
The defendant was initially charged with second-degree murder but later pleaded guilty to manslaughter with a motor vehicle with an adult designation in February 2025 and was given a "blended sentence" last week due to his age at the time of the crash: 16.
Tague, now 18, was sentenced to serve probation at a Level two placement facility, as FOX 2 Detroit reported. Fox News Digital reached out to Tague's attorney for comment.
"The evidence in this case will show that the defendant was driving in a residential neighborhood at speeds that rival speeding on Michigan freeways," Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said in a June 13 statement. "Sadly, Mr. MacKrell lost his life as a result. We know that the rules of the road exist for a reason, speed kills. Driving 25 in a residential neighborhood is mandated, not a mere suggestion."
MacKrell's mother, Anne Vanker, of Grosse Pointe, expressed her disappointment with the sentencing results in a June 13 Facebook post.
"Today, instead of being held accountable, Kiernan Tague was once again shielded from facing the full consequences of his violent and criminal actions. He killed my son, Flynn MacKrell, through repeated reckless and destructive behavior, and yet, even after 18 months, the justice system has failed to hold him fully responsible," Vanker wrote.
"This is not justice."
Vanker added that "[d]espite clear recommendations from two pre-sentencing reports calling for adult sentencing, overwhelming evidence, and the applicable Michigan Court Rules that allow the court to consider the full scope of Kiernan's behavior, the court chose leniency over accountability."
"This decision results in a continued injustice for Flynn, our family, and every community that expects real consequences for fatal, preventable actions," Vanker said, adding that her family "will never stop fighting for Flynn" and "will continue to advocate for stronger laws."
"My son, my Flynn, was my life, my heart. No words can capture the silence, the rage, and the sorrow that fill every corner of my world. This statement cannot express the hell I live every day since Flynn's death, but Flynn's voice was stolen, now mine must speak for him."
She also read a victim impact statement in court last week during the sentencing hearing. In her statement, Vanker remembered her son, who had just started studying at the University of Dayton before the crash, as "a cherished child of God" and "a true gift."
She also described Tague's "escalating violent behavior" and "willful disregard for his mother's authority, the law, and basic human life." Vanker added that Tague has never acknowledged "the gravity of the crime" and has never expressed "remorse" for Flynn's death.
"Kiernan Tague has been involved in 20 police incidents since 2018. Most of these police interactions were triggered by Kiernan's mother calling 911 because of his uncontrollable outbursts," she wrote.
Tague's driving history in the months before the crash included hitting speeds of 102 mph, 127 mph, 143 mph, 150 mph and 155 mph, the Detroit Free Press reported, citing police reports, cellphone exchanges and Life360 records.
Vanker also noted that Tague's family used the Life 360 app to keep tabs on their son's location, as many parents do, and a search warrant for data from the app showed Tague's reckless driving tendencies. Police reports, Life360 records and other documents showed
"From November 1 to November 17, Kiernan made 94 trips in his car," Vanker wrote. "Of those 94 trips, 10% were over 120 [mph], 18% were over 110 [mph], 26% were over 100 [mph], and 45% were over 90 [mph]. The top speed was recorded on November 1, 2023, when Kiernan Tague traveled at or above 153.7 mph for 20.5 miles."
Tague also spoke at his sentencing and at times became choked up when talking about Flynn, whom he described as his best friend, according to FOX 2.
"My heart is profoundly heavy with grief, regret and remorse," Tague said on June 13, as FOX 2 reported. "What pains me most is that I know that any pain that I've experienced is nothing compared to what Flynn's loved ones, especially his parents, sister, brother, and family have experienced."
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