$100 million lawsuit filed against Michigan's Warren, police officers for crash that killed 2

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. — Attorneys for the relatives of two men killed in a car crash last week with Warren police are suing the city of Warren and the two police officers involved, alleging the officers were driving more than 100 miles per hour when the accident happened.

Surrounded by large photos of the two victims during a press conference Monday at Fieger Law in Southfield, relatives and attorneys detailed a $100 million lawsuit filed in Macomb Circuit Court on behalf of the family of Cedric Hayden Jr. They said they plan to file another suit on behalf of the family of the other victim, DeJuan Pettis, later on. Several of Hayden's and Pettis' family members spoke during the conference.

Cedric Hayden Sr., Hayden’s father, said he couldn’t believe it when he was informed that his son had died.

“I won't believe it, and I never will believe it, because every time I go somewhere, I'm seeing my son,” he said. “I need my son. I want my son.”

The crash happened around 5 a.m. Sept. 30. Hayden and Pettis were driving on Schoenherr Road and preparing to turn left on Prospect Street just north of Eight Mile when a Warren police patrol car slammed into the Dodge Durango they were in, officials said.

Fieger Law identified the Durango's occupants as Hayden and Pettis.

Authorities said one of the men was pronounced dead at the scene. The other was pronounced dead at a hospital. Officials said last Monday that investigators believe the two were friends.

Police said the two victims in the crash were not involved in any pursuit or a break-in that had been reported early Monday.

They also said one of the officers had to be extricated from the patrol vehicle by Warren firefighters and underwent surgery at a hospital. The other officer was taken to a hospital and listed in critical condition.

Both officers have been with the department for at least five years, police said.

The Macomb County Sheriff's Office is investigating the crash to ensure impartiality and transparency, Warren police officials said last week.

In the lawsuit, the families of Hayden Pettis allege the officers who crashed into the Durango were traveling at speeds of more than 100 mph without activating the police vehicle's lights and sirens.

The suit claims the officers were negligent and names the department and the city of Warren as defendants.