Seattle to Pay $29 Million to Family of Andhra Student Jahnavi Kandula Killed by Speeding Police Car

Seattle has agreed to pay at least $29 million (approximately ₹262 crore) as compensation to the family of Jahnavi (Jaahnavi) Kandula, a 23-year-old engineering student from Andhra Pradesh who was killed in January 2023 after being hit by a speeding Seattle Police Department (SPD) patrol vehicle.

Jahnavi, a native of Kurnool district, had moved to the United States in 2021 to pursue her master’s degree at Northeastern University’s South Lake Union campus. On January 23, 2023, she was crossing Dexter Avenue at Thomas Street in Seattle when she was struck by a police vehicle driven by officer Kevin Dave.

The speed limit at the spot was 25 mph (around 40 kmph). However, official findings revealed that Dave was driving at 74 mph (approximately 119 kmph). The impact reportedly threw her nearly 100 feet, and she died on the spot.

Her parents, Vijaya Laksmi Gundapuneedi and Sreekanth Kandula, filed a wrongful death lawsuit in King County Superior Court seeking $110 million, along with an additional $11,000 in reference to controversial remarks made after her death.

Body camera footage later showed SPD officer Daniel Auderer, then vice chairman of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, making insensitive remarks about the incident. He was heard saying, “Just write a check. $11,000. She was 26 anyway. She had limited value,” followed by laughter. The comments sparked outrage in both India and the United States. Auderer was fired in July 2024 and has since filed a $25 million wrongful termination claim, which is pending.

Kevin Dave was terminated in January 2025 after the Office of Police Accountability found that he failed to drive with “due regard for the safety of all persons.” The report also noted that he had been involved in a prior preventable collision and did not have a valid Washington driver’s licence at the time of the crash. Before joining SPD in 2019, Dave had been dismissed from the Tucson Police Department in 2013 after multiple disciplinary investigations.

The Seattle City Attorney’s Office confirmed that a settlement had been reached. City Attorney Erika Evans stated that Jahnavi’s death was heartbreaking and expressed hope that the financial settlement would provide some closure to the family.

The total settlement amounts to at least $29 million, plus an additional $11,000. However, King County Prosecutor Leesa Manion declined to file felony charges against Kevin Dave. Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison instead issued a negligent driving citation carrying a $5,000 fine.

Following public outrage, the Seattle Police Department revised its emergency driving policies in November 2024, directing officers to drive no faster than reasonably necessary and within the limits of their skill and training.

The Kandula family’s response to the settlement is awaited.

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