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Why a US court is paying ₹262 crore settlement to Jaahnavi Kandula’s family
Jaahnavi Kandula was hit by Officer Kevin Dave, who was driving as fast as 119 kph in a 40-kph zone as he responded to a drug overdose call.
Three years after Jaahnavi Kandula’s death shocked both India and the United States, the city of Seattle has agreed to pay USD 29 million ( ₹262 crore) to her family in a settlement stemming from the fatal police vehicle collision.
"Jaahnavi Kandula's death was heartbreaking, and the city hopes this financial settlement brings some sense of closure to the Kandula family," City Attorney Erika Evans said in a statement Wednesday. "Jaahnavi Kandula's life mattered. It mattered to her family, her friends and to our community."
Kandula had been working toward a master's degree in information systems at the Seattle campus of Northeastern University.
Also Read | Who was Jaahnavi Kandula? How did she die in Seattle accident?
What happened to Jaahnavi Kandula?
On January 23, 2023, Jaahnavi Kandula, a 23-year-old graduate student from Northeastern University, was killed after she was hit by a patrol car driven by police officer Kevin Dave in Seattle.
According to reports, Dave was driving the car at 74 mph (119 kmph) on the way to a report of an overdose when he hit Kandula at the intersection of Dexter Avenue North and Thomas Street.
Reportedly, her body was thrown more than 100 feet (30 meters) away.
Immediately the student was taken to Harborview Medical Center, however, she succumbed to her injuries, according to reports.
Also Read | Family of Indian student Jaahnavi Kandula, killed by US officer, gets ₹262 crore settlement
Why Kandula's death led to massive outrage?
A massive outrage broke out after the Seattle Police Department released footage from accused officer Daniel Auderer's body camera on Monday in which he can be heard joking and laughing about the incident.
In the video clip, Auderer - who serves as vice president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild - was reportedly talking about the accident in a call with the guild's president Mike Solan. He laughed several times after saying “she is dead”.
Toward the end of the clip, the officer can be heard saying, “Yeah, just write a check. Eleven thousand dollars. She was 26 anyway…She had limited value.”
The police department also fired the driving officer, who was cited for negligent driving and ordered to pay a USD 5,000 fine. King County prosecutors declined to file felony charges against him, saying they could not prove he was deliberately disregarding safety when he struck Kandula.
