MILWAUKEE — A Milwaukee family is suing Kia America over the death of their loved one.
Marquis Hacket died two years ago after being hit and killed by a driver who was being chased by police.
The suit accuses Kia of negligence, saying that if proper anti-theft technology had been installed, the crash that killed Hacket would have never happened.
"I miss him. I miss him every day. Today, it’s two years that he's gone. Today is the day that he died," Dorothy Hacket, Marquis Hacket's mother, said.
Marquis Hacket was heading home from a date on January 22, 2023, when he was hit and killed by a 14-year-old driver in a stolen Kia, who was being chased by police.
Watch: Family sues Kia America after he was hit and killed by teen driving stolen Kia
"Marquis was my oldest child. He was 47. We called him cowboy," Dorothy Hacket added.
His family is suing Kia for failing to put the proper safety measures in its cars to prevent and avoid theft.
"Marquis Hacket was killed by a stolen vehicle, and we believe that ultimately, in this case, there’s joint responsibility," attorney Michael Cerjak said.
Cerjak is representing the Hacket family. He said the responsibility lies with the convicted teen driving the car, but also with Kia.
"We think there’s joint responsibility with respect to Kia as well, in terms of how easy the vehicle was to steal," Cerjak explained.
The suit alleges Kia and Hyundai cut corners in designing their alarm systems.
It states Kia and Hyundai’s affected cars aren't equipped with immobilizers, have deficient collars around the steering columns, and have defective ignition lock assemblies.
It also alleges Kia and Hyundai concealed the defect while touting the safety of their cars.
"By the time Marquis was killed, this had been going on for two years," Cerjak said. "There was ample opportunity to put in place some type of corrective action or safety device to stop this, but they didn’t."
Cerjak and the Hacket family are seeking monetary damages from Kia.
A spokesperson for Kia said it is company policy for Kia America to offer a "no comment" on pending litigation.
"We lost a whole being. We lost our everything in this," Dorothy Hacket said.
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