(WXYZ) — A Grosse Pointe teen who was going 105 mph when he crashed, killing his friend who was a passenger, was given a blended sentence on Friday.
Watch Darren Cunningham's video report:
A judge gave Kiernan Tague a blended sentence of 19-38 months. He was sentenced to a level 2 secure placement probation facility, which means he will be placed in a residential facility, the Wayne County Juvenile Detention Facility.
Flynn Mackrell, 18, was riding in the car with Tague, who was 16 in November 2023, when the crash happened. Tague, who is now 18, was doing 105 mph in a 25 mph zone. Police say he lost control and crashed into a tree, killing Flynn, who was a freshman at the University of Dayton.
Originally, Tague was charged with second-degree murder, but he ended up pleading guilty to Manslaughter with a Motor Vehicle with an adult designation.
The case made national headlines as Flynn's family wanted Tague's mother to be held responsible for the crash, alleging that she knew the driver had a history of speeding.
"He had no regard for his passenger safety, no regard for pedestrian safety. And the mother knew it," Flynn's dad, Thad MacKrell, told ABC News.
Watch Flynn MacKrell's parents give victim impact statements in the videos below
An investigation report obtained by ABC News showed that the driver's mom had reportedly texted him leading up to the crash and told him to stop speeding.
"I have screen shots of you ... driving 123 mph," Tague's driver's mother texted him, according to the report.
Video from the aftermath of the crash showed the massive damage that came from the crash, with pieces of the car spread across the road.
During victim impact statemts, Flynn's brother Thad Mackrell Jr. said, “There was so much confusion in the first days after Flynn was killed that it wasn’t until I stood over my brother’s coffin and held his lifeless hand that I started to awaken to the devastating reality that now is my everyday life.”
Flynn's sister Lily said, “He was a person and he deserved to have a full life. Not one cut short by the actions of Kiernan Tague. I am here to fight for the justice Flynn deserves to ensure that someone as callous as Mr. Tague does not have the opportunity to rip away another innocent life.”
Thad Mackrell Sr. said, “Mr. Tague is manipulative, deceitful, violent, dishonorable, selfish man."
Anne Vanker, Flynn's mother, is calling for legislative changes to stiffen the penalty for teens who are caught driving excessive speeds.
She said of Tague's testimony, "His fake tears are disgusting.”
You can hear Tague's message to the judge in the video below
