(WWJ) A Grosse Pointe teen has learned his fate after pleading guilty to manslaughter for a crash that killed his friend, 18-year-old Flynn MacKrell.
Kiernan Tague, who was 16 years old at the time of the crash in November of 2023, was adult-designated, and received a complicated sentence on Friday.
Wayne County Judge Mark Slavens sentence Tague to a suspended term of 19 to 38 months in secure placement probation.
This means Tague will spend an undetermined amount of time in a Level 2 juvenile facility, where he will undergo a rehabilitation program. After he completes the program, Tague will be released on probation.
"Meaning, after an undetermined period of time in juvenile detention, he could quickly regain his freedom; a sentence that Flynn MacKrell's mother, Anne Vanker called deeply disturbing after the court hearing."
If he violates any term of his probation, the judge said Tague will then be sentenced to 19 to 38 months in an adult prison.
Speaking at this sentencing, a tearful Tague told the judge that he's a changed person.
"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 since his death," Tague said.
Authorities said Tague was speeding at more than 100 miles per hour in a 2021 BMW X3 when he lost control of his car and slammed into a utility pole and a tree.
MacKrell, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, had to be extricated from the vehicle by first responders. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Tague was seriously hurt, but recovered from his injuries.
The speed limit in the Grosse Pointe farms neighborhood where the crash occurred was 25 mph, according to authorities.
Tague was initially charged with second-degree murder, but took a plea deal on the lesser charge in February of this year.