Angry families want GM prosecuted for defects

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http://www.adn.com/2014/04/06/3412393/angry-families-want-gm-prosecuted.html?sp=/99/171/



FILE - In this Tuesday, April 1, 2014, file photo families of victims of a General Motors safety defects in small cars hold photos of their loved ones as they gather on the lawn on Capitol Hill in Washington. Families of those who died in General Motors cars with defective ignition switches want prosecutors to go after GM insiders responsible for letting the problems fester for more than decade, and perhaps for covering them up.

Angry families want GM prosecuted for defects
By PAUL WISEMAN and TOM KRISHER
The Associated Press
April 6, 2014 Updated 10 minutes ago

WASHINGTON — The families of those who died in General Motors cars with defective ignition switches want prosecutors to go after GM insiders responsible for letting the problems fester for more than a decade — and perhaps for covering them up.

"The only way the public is going to be protected from this negligence by companies is if there will ultimately be prison sentences," said Leo Ruddy of Scranton, Pa., whose 21-year-old daughter Kelly was killed in 2010 when her Chevrolet Cobalt veered inexplicably off the highway and crashed.

Family members attended hearings in Washington last week that stoked those sentiments. Lawmakers confronted GM CEO Mary Barra with what they said was evidence that, in 2006, a company employee intentionally tried to conceal the switch problem. And the head of the nation's auto safety watchdog said GM withheld critical information that connected the failing switch to air bags that didn't deploy in a crash.

"I don't see this as anything but criminal," said Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-New Hampshire, a former state prosecutor.