The family of 57-year-old Carla Tyson has taken their fight to court, filing a wrongful-death lawsuit that claims she was first hit by a fleeing driver, then run over again by a Milwaukee Police Department squad car. The complaint, filed July 6, 2026, names the city of Milwaukee, the Milwaukee Police Department and 48-year-old David Terrell Hall, the man later charged in the hit-and-run. Tyson was pronounced dead at the scene in the North Division neighborhood after the early-morning crash on July 27, 2024.
Video shows hit-and-run, investigators say
According to prosecutors, surveillance footage shows a Dodge Ram striking Tyson as she crossed West North Avenue and North 14th Street, then taking off with a damaged headlight and grille. Investigators say debris left at the scene led them to a residence associated with Hall, according to CBS 58.
Squad car struck her seconds later
Roughly 25 to 30 seconds after that first impact, an MPD squad car responding to an unrelated call drove over Tyson as she lay in the roadway, prosecutors say. The officers then stopped and approached her. First responders pronounced her dead at about 2:50 a.m., and the two officers in the squad were placed on administrative duty while a homicide investigation went forward, as reported by FOX6 Milwaukee.
New lawsuit and claims
The wrongful-death complaint filed July 6 argues that both Hall and the MPD squad car share responsibility for Tyson's death and contends that the loss was wrongful and preventable. Plaintiffs' attorney Donald Murphy wrote that the officer in the squad "failed to activate his emergency lights or siren before proceeding," and the filings name Tyson's son, Pierre Tyson, as special administrator of her estate. Court records show Hall is scheduled for trial on Oct. 5, 2026, and attempts to reach Milwaukee City Attorney Evan Goyke were unsuccessful, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Criminal case against the driver
On the criminal side, prosecutors have charged Hall with hit-and-run resulting in death and felony bail jumping, noting in court filings that he was out on bond for a prior felony at the time of the crash. Hall has told investigators he was driving the truck but claimed he did not know he had struck a person, according to reporting from CBS 58.
Family reaction and what's next
Tyson's relatives say they have received little information from police and are pushing hard for transparency about both the fleeing driver and the squad car's actions, family members told local outlets. With the new lawsuit, the family is taking that push into civil court while the criminal case against Hall continues and investigators still seek tips about the hit-and-run vehicle, according to WISN 12 News.
What plaintiffs will need to prove
To win the wrongful-death case, Tyson's family will have to show negligence and causation by the city or the officers, as well as by the motorist. The criminal case will separately address Hall's alleged flight and the other charges he faces. For now, the two cases move ahead on parallel tracks: one civil lawsuit seeking damages from the city and the driver, the other a criminal prosecution that could lead to prison time if Hall is convicted.
