Family sues Kia over deadly stolen car crash

By CNN Newsource

Published January 23, 2025 1:55 PM

By Kendall Keys

MILWAUKEE (WISN) — Two years ago, a stolen Kia slammed into a car, killing a Milwaukee father of three who was on a first date. Now, his family is filing a lawsuit against the carmaker.

“Two years ago, the unthinkable happened. I mean, my son was everything to me,” Dorothy Hacket, the man’s mother, said.

January 22, 2023, the Milwaukee Police Department said its officers were chasing a stolen Kia Sportage. Investigators said the car ran the red light and crashed into the car Marquis Hacket, 47, was in, killing him.

Hacket’s family and Attorney Michael Cerjak say Kia is partly to blame.

“We feel like there’s joint responsibility. Clearly there’s responsibility on behalf of the juveniles who are involved. But there’s also a responsibility on behalf of Kia in terms of how how easy the vehicles were to steal,” Cerjak said.

Dorothy spoke with WISN 12 News two years ago after the crash happened.

“He told me he had a hot date, and he said, ‘Ma, this might be the one,'” Dorothy said in 2023.

Marquis was in the passenger seat after the first date and his date, Tiffany Cleaves-Moore was behind the wheel when the stolen Kia crashed into them.

The crash seriously injured Cleaves-Moore and killed Marquis.

“It’s all gone for nothing because somebody wanted to take a joy ride,” Dorothy said in 2023.

Milwaukee police arrested five teenagers who were all in the stolen car.

“What role do you think Kia played in his death?” Keys asked Cerjak.

“I think that that created the opportunity for this to happen,” Cerjak said.

Cerjak wrote in the lawsuit that Kia’s vehicles were “manufactured with subpar security measures, thereby making them incredibly easy to steal” and that Kia’s “negligence in failing to properly remedy the Defect led to the Stolen Kia being involved in the collision which caused Hacket, Sr.’s death.”

“There should have been steps to prevent this from happening. It just didn’t need to happen like this. And Marquis didn’t need to lose his life this way,” Cerjak said.

Hacket was a father to two girls and one boy.

“This lawsuit is for them,” said Dorothy. “It’s not for me. It’s for my grandchildren. What they’re going to miss for their lives.”

WISN 12 News contacted Kia for comment. The head of corporate communications said they do not comment on pending litigation.

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