Driver’s Mom Knew! Teen Crash Parents Demand Justice

In a tragic case that has left a Michigan community reeling, the parents of an 18-year-old star athlete who died in a high-speed crash are seeking justice, not just against the young driver but also against his mother, who they believe could have prevented the tragedy.

Last November, Kiernan Tague, 17, picked up his friend Flynn MacKrell, 18, from his home in Grosse Pointe, a suburb of Detroit. Flynn, a freshman swimmer at the University of Dayton, was home for Thanksgiving. Within minutes of getting into the BMW X3 M series, driven by Tague, the vehicle careened out of control at 105 mph in a 25-mph zone. The car split in two after hitting a post and a tree. Flynn died instantly, while Tague survived but sustained serious injuries.

Months later, Tague was charged with second-degree murder, a charge that carries the weight of a life sentence in Michigan. However, the spotlight in this case has shifted onto Tague’s mother, Elizabeth Puleo-Tague, who is now facing scrutiny for allegedly enabling her son’s dangerous behavior behind the wheel. Investigators uncovered text messages that indicate she was aware of her son’s reckless driving habits long before the fatal crash but failed to take decisive action to prevent him from driving.

Two months before the accident, she texted her son after a GPS app alerted her to his speeding, “Slow the f–k down right now!” Yet, despite her concerns, she later purchased a high-performance BMW, giving her son access to a vehicle capable of reaching speeds up to 177 mph. This decision has left Flynn’s parents, Anne Vanker and Thad Mackrell, devastated and determined to hold her accountable.

“She was sitting on a ticking time bomb. She knows he’s out of control, yet she basically gets him a weapon,” Vanker told the press, likening the situation to handing her son a dangerous firearm.

The messages between Tague and his mother reveal a pattern of troubling behavior. Tague frequently drove at excessive speeds, often without his mother’s permission or knowledge, and used her credit cards without authorization. Despite this, she continued to allow him access to her vehicles. There were also disturbing incidents of domestic violence, including a 2020 report where Tague allegedly assaulted his mother. Despite her fear, documented in police reports, she continued to give him opportunities to drive.

This case draws parallels to the 2021 Oxford High School mass shooting, where the parents of the shooter were convicted for their role in enabling their son’s violent behavior. Flynn’s parents hope that, like the Crumbleys, Puleo-Tague will be held accountable for her role in the circumstances leading up to the crash.

Currently, no charges have been filed against Puleo-Tague, but the evidence is mounting. The MacKrell family is determined to pursue legal action, believing that she shares responsibility for their son’s death.

As Tague awaits trial, the community is left grappling with the aftermath of this preventable tragedy. Flynn’s promising future was cut short, and the lives of everyone involved have been forever altered. Vanker, still grappling with the loss, voiced her desire for justice: “I want him in prison for as long as possible,” she said, believing that Tague deserves no leniency. “This kid had every break and every privilege there is.”

In the courtroom, Tague will face the consequences of his actions, but the broader question remains: could this tragedy have been averted if his mother had taken stronger measures to control her son’s reckless behavior? The trial, and any subsequent actions against Puleo-Tague, may provide some answers, but for the MacKrell family, the pain of losing their son will never fade.