Grosse Pointe teen charged in November fatal crash

A Grosse Pointe teen who allegedly drove a car at a high rate of speed last fall, crashing into a utility pole and killing a teen passenger, has been with charged with second-degree murder.

The 17-year-old youth, whose name was not released, was not charged as an adult but "adult designated," according to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office. This allows the judge to have the option of sentencing him as a juvenile or an adult, the Prosecutor's Office said Thursday in a news release. If the teen is found guilty, the judge also create a blended juvenile sentence with the option of imposing an adult sentence if the juvenile is not rehabilitated.

The crash happened on Nov. 17. Grosse Pointe Farms police were dispatched for a reported single-vehicle crash near Ridge and Moran roads around 9:05 p.m, prosecutors said.

Officers found the accused teen belted into the driver’s seat and the victim, Flynn Mackrell, 18, unresponsive and belted into the passenger seat, according to the release.

Medics pronounced Mackrell deceased on the scene.

An attorney representing the accused teen could not immediately be reached Thursday for comment.

Prosecutors accused the teen driver of driving at high speeds in a residential area and losing control of the vehicle and left the roadway, striking a utility pole and a tree and fatally wounding Mackrell.

"The evidence in this case will show that the defendant was driving in a residential neighborhood at speeds that rival speeding on our Michigan freeways," said Prosecutor Kym Worthy. "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."

The teen's preliminary examination is set for 10 a.m. April 3 before Judge Cylenthia Miller, Prosecutor's Office said. He received a $10,000 cash bond, the Prosecutor's Office said.