Victim of fiery hit-and-run crash on Milwaukee's east side had been gifted car for maintaining sobriety

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A man on the path to regaining his life lost his car in another case of reckless driving in Milwaukee.

"Since I was 12 or 13, I started just smoking weed, and it moved up to other things and I realized I needed help," Malakai Peterson said.

Peterson, an Appleton native, has been at a sober living home for almost six months. He tells CBS 58 that things have been going well. So well, that his parents surprised him with a car on Thanksgiving.

"After being here and using the bus consistently, they wanted to show, I guess, their appreciation for me doing good," he explained.

His family got Peterson to the dealership without raising any suspicions from the 20-year-old, who was shocked when he got the keys to his 2003 Ford Mustang.

"I didn't know how to feel at the moment, but when I realized it was actually true and not a dream, it felt amazing, and I was so thankful," he said.

It was a memory he would cherish forever, that is now a painful reminder of what happened next. Two weeks later, his car was destroyed.

UW-Milwaukee police said on Dec. 7, they tried to pull over a stolen car. After fleeing, hitting a bicyclist, and ramming into a car on Cramer and Linnwood, the driver crashed into two parked cars causing the explosion that claimed Peterson's present.

"My house manager came and picked me up and let me know that my car was totaled, and there wasn't much I couldn't do about it," he explained. "I didn't believe him at first and then got home and saw the rubble."

With no help from his insurance provider, Peterson is left with few options.

"It was super difficult, especially knowing I wasn't the cause, and I can't really do anything," he said.

A friend created a GoFundMe for Peterson, hoping to get him behind the wheel again to help keep his sobriety on track.

"Before I went to sober living, I didn't have many people that supported me, and now that I'm trying to get my life better, people are actually willing to help me out, and it feels amazing to know that," Peterson said.

Four suspects were seen on cellphone video running from the scene on Dec. 7. UW-Milwaukee police tell CBS 58 there is no update on the case.