Seattle: A 23-year-old Indian-origin graduate student died in 2023 after being hit by a vehicle driven by a speeding police officer while crossing the road.
Now, the local government of Seattle has announced a compensation of $29 million (about ₹ 262 crore) for her family, English media reported.
Jahnavi Kandula had jumped 137 feet and fallen on the side of the road after being hit by a police car. Police officer Kevin Dave, who was driving at a high speed, had exceeded the speed limit near the South Lake Union crosswalk. The investigation confirmed that the car, which was supposed to be traveling at 25 miles per hour, was traveling at 74 miles per hour.
Jahnavi Kandula’s death was heartbreaking. The Seattle City Council said it hopes the financial settlement will bring some peace to the Kandula family.
Attorney Erica Evans released a statement on Wednesday, saying that Janhvi Kandula’s life was “very important.” “This settlement is very important to her family, her friends, and our community.”
Kandula, who hails from Hyderabad, was pursuing a master’s degree in information systems at Northeastern University in Seattle.
Police officers who stood by her side as she lay in the road with severe injuries from the crash mocked her. One of them, Officer Daniel Aderer, quipped to Seattle Police Officers Guild President Mike Solan in a phone call recorded by his body camera, “Janhvi Kandula’s life has limited value and the city should give her a check for $11,000.”
But Jahnavi Kandula’s family went to court, challenging the failure to file criminal charges against these two officers. Now, after a lengthy hearing, the court has ordered the Seattle city government to pay Jahnavi Kandula’s family $29 million in compensation, media reports say.