Contact Us
info@flynnmichaelfoundation.orgIn Loving Memory of
Flynn Michael MacKrell
July 11, 2005 - November 17, 2023
Saving Lives Through Advocacy and Change
Flynn Michael was just 18 years old when his life was tragically cut short by a preventable reckless driving incident. Our foundation works tirelessly to advocate for stronger laws, educate communities, and prevent other families from experiencing this devastating loss.
Together, we can create meaningful change and save lives through the Flynn MacKrell Law and comprehensive parental accountability measures.
Our Mission
To save lives by advocating for stronger laws, increased parental accountability, and comprehensive education to prevent reckless teen driving tragedies. We honor the memory of Flynn MacKrell, whose life was cut short by a reckless teen driver, by fighting to ensure no other family endures this preventable loss.
Stronger Laws
Weak accountability laws – In Michigan, teens who cause deaths through reckless driving are too often shielded by juvenile sentencing and blended sentencing loopholes. Blended sentencing places the offender in a juvenile facility while an adult prison sentence is suspended and often never served. In practice, this can shield dangerous teen drivers from meaningful adult consequences, even in cases involving fatal, foreseeable, and preventable conduct.
Accountability
Parental negligence goes unpunished – Parents who knowingly allow dangerous driving, even after repeated warnings and clear evidence of risk, rarely face legal consequences. Too often, parents look the other way, or even provide faster cars, despite knowing their teen is driving recklessly. Without laws that hold parents criminally negligent when their inaction enables these crimes, the cycle of reckless teen driving will not stop.
Education & Awareness
Public awareness is dangerously low: many teens and parents underestimate the criminal and lifelong consequences of reckless driving, and driver education programs fail to adequately address the dangers of speeding, drag racing, and reckless driving.
The Devastating Reality
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for 16–19 year-olds, and speeding is one of the single biggest killers within those crashes.
Source: CDC, National Vital Statistics System
Leading cause of death
for teens aged 16-19
Of fatal teen crashes
involve speeding (NHTSA 2021)
Michigan teen fatalities
caused by "speed too fast" (2023)
Preventable
with proper accountability
Top Risk Factors in Fatal Teen Crashes
Speeding
The #1 hazardous action in Michigan teen fatal crashes
Distracted Driving
A leading contributing factor in teen fatalities
Not Using Seatbelts
Combined with other risky behaviors increases fatality risk
Source: CDC, NHTSA, and Michigan traffic safety data
Our Focus Areas
Through targeted initiatives, we address the root causes of reckless driving and work toward meaningful change.
Teen Driver Education
Developing comprehensive educational programs that teach young drivers about the serious consequences of reckless driving and promote responsible behavior behind the wheel.
Legislative Reform
Working with lawmakers to strengthen traffic safety laws, increase penalties for reckless driving, and ensure consistent enforcement across jurisdictions.
Victim Support
Parents who knowingly allow dangerous driving face little to no legal consequence – Without stronger parental accountability laws, there's no deterrent for enabling reckless behavior. Blended sentencing and juvenile justice reform are essential.
Public Campaigns
Creating awareness campaigns that change public perception about reckless driving and promote a culture of safety and responsibility on our roads.
The Flynn MacKrell Law
The Flynn MacKrell Law ensures that when teenagers abuse the privilege of driving through extreme recklessness and a life is lost, accountability is certain, consistent, and just.
The Problem
Reckless driving is the leading cause of death for teenagers, yet our laws fail to consistently address the most extreme and dangerous behaviors. Teens who drag race, flee police, or drive at unimaginable speeds can take a life, and still face wildly different consequences depending on discretion rather than the severity of the harm caused.
Driving is a state-sanctioned privilege, requiring parental authorization, but when that privilege is violently abused, the system too often minimizes the conduct as a youthful mistake instead of recognizing it as foreseeable, lethal behavior. This gap leaves families shattered, communities unprotected, and other teens without a clear deterrent—allowing preventable deaths to continue.
The Solution
The Flynn MacKrell Law deters the most dangerous forms of teen driving by creating clear, specific, and unavoidable consequences when extreme recklessness takes a life. When teens understand that drag racing, fleeing police, or driving at extreme speeds will result in automatic adult accountability if someone is killed, the risk is no longer abstract. Predictable consequences change behavior by removing discretionary loopholes and treating vehicular violence with the seriousness it deserves.
The Flynn MacKrell Law sends an unmistakable message: abusing the privilege to drive will not be tolerated. We can save lives.
Why the Flynn MacKrell Law Is Needed
Even though modern vehicles are safer than ever, deaths caused by reckless teen driving have not meaningfully declined. Safety technology cannot overcome deliberate choices to drag race, flee police, or drive at extreme speeds. When a teenager engages in this level of recklessness, the risk of death is not accidental—it is foreseeable.
The State sanctions teenagers to operate motor vehicles, a powerful and potentially lethal instrument, by granting a license that requires adult authorization and supervision. When that state-granted privilege is abused in a way that endangers public safety and results in a loss of life, the conduct must be treated for what it is: violent behavior with adult consequences.
Current law allows this conduct to be minimized or inconsistently addressed, weakening deterrence and failing families and communities. The Flynn MacKrell Law closes this gap by making accountability transparent and predictable. Adult privileges demand adult consequences—and when vehicles are used as weapons, adult accountability is necessary to deter reckless behavior and save lives.
Legislative Progress & Next Steps
Track our journey toward making the Flynn MacKrell Law a reality in Michigan
Foundation Established
Flynn Michael Foundation created to honor Flynn's memory and advocate for change
January 2026
Community Mobilization
Built coalition of supporters, victims' families, and safety advocates
December 2023 - March 2024
Legislative Drafting & Advocacy
Working with lawmakers to draft and introduce the Flynn MacKrell Law in Michigan Legislature
Current Phase - 2024
Bill Introduction
Formal introduction of the Flynn MacKrell Law in Michigan House or Senate
Target: 2025 Legislative Session
Committee Hearings
Present testimony and evidence to legislative committees
Target: 2025
Legislative Vote
House and Senate votes on the Flynn MacKrell Law
Target: 2025-2026
Law Enacted
Governor signs the Flynn MacKrell Law into Michigan law
Target: 2026
Help Us Reach Our Goal
Your voice matters in this legislative journey. Contact your representatives, share our mission, and join us in making the Flynn MacKrell Law a reality.
Why This Matters
This legislation ensures that the consequences match the severity of the crime. When young drivers make deliberate choices that result in death, they must face appropriate accountability. The Flynn MacKrell Law provides consistency, justice for families, and sends a clear message about the value of human life.
Join Our Movement
Together, we can end the culture of speed and recklessness that devastates families and communities. Every voice matters in our fight for safer roads.
Stay Connected
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