A 50-year-old woman who died after she was struck by a vehicle in a Saukville Walmart parking lot has been identified by her family as Mailee Xiong Hang of Saukville.
Hang’s sister, Mai Xiong, said in a Facebook post that the family is “deeply heartbroken.”
“I am so deeply heartbroken to share that on Oct. 26, my oldest sister, Mailee Xiong Hang’s life was tragically taken away from us,” Xiong wrote. “Mailee was loved by so many; she lived her life fully, unapologetically, and with so much passion and enthusiasm.”
The family asked the community for prayers and support as they navigate this difficult time.
Hang lived in Laos before coming to America with her family
Hang, 50, was originally born in Laos around 1975. She was one of three children who was raised by her parents during the Secret War, a conflict from 1961 to 1975 where the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency recruited Hmong men and boys to fight without informing Congress of the full scale of the American involvement.
After the war, her parents fled with their children. Xiong wrote that their father used a rubber tire to help the family cross the Mekong River into Thailand at night.
Xiong said she often encouraged Hang to share memories of the war — stories she rarely told others.
Hang later married her husband, Vang, and moved to Detroit in 1994. The couple had four children. She worked full time for a medical billing company and also helped care for their mother and younger siblings, Xiong said.
“As a second mother to me, Mailee was truly a blessing,” Xiong wrote. “She was fierce, passionate, and always put her family’s needs first. I thank her for everything she has given me and taught me. I’m a better sister, daughter, mother, friend, and community leader because of my sister, Mailee.”
The family asks the community for support
A GoFundMe organized by Hang’s husband and four children seeks to honor her memory and cover unexpected expenses after her death, including funeral and memorial costs as well as legal and investigative fees.
“Mailee Hang was the heart of our family. She was a gentle, selfless woman, always putting others before herself,” the family wrote on the GoFundMe page. “As we grieve this unthinkable loss, we are also faced with sudden and overwhelming expenses — funeral and memorial arrangements, legal and investigative costs, and the challenges of adjusting to life without her.”
Additional details about incident released by police
Saukville police investigators said the fatality occurred when a 74-year-old woman driving a Ford Ranger was attempting to park in a handicapped stall near an entrance to Walmart, 825 E. Green Bay Ave., around 10:50 a.m. Oct. 26.
Instead of stepping on the brake, the driver pressed the accelerator, according to a Facebook post by the police department on Oct. 28.
The vehicle traveled through a walkway and into the next parking island, where it struck Hang, officials said. Despite life-saving efforts, she died at a hospital.
Police said multiple witnesses shared statements and video, and the investigation remains ongoing. The driver has cooperated with authorities, and no arrests have been made. Hang’s family and police said they cannot release additional information while the investigation is active.
(This story was updated to add new information.)
Adrienne Davis is a south suburban reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Got any tips or stories to share? Contact Adrienne at amdavis@gannett.com. Follow her on X at @AdriReportss.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Woman killed in Saukville Walmart parking lot lived life ‘fully, unapologetically’
Reporting by Adrienne Davis, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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