A Delaware Superior Court jury has determined Kia Motors Corp. should pay $1.6 million to the estate of a deceased Sussex County man for a carmaker's negligence in designing a restraint system.

According to the verdict reached Friday, the jury in a New Castle County court found Kia's negligent conduct was a key factor in the 2015 injuries of former Philadelphia homicide detective Charles Permint Jr., a resident of Harbeson, who ultimately died after his chest hit a 2014 Kia Soul's dashboard during a two-vehicle, front-end crash in which he was the front passenger.