The city of Seattle has agreed to a $29 million settlement (approximately â¹260–262 crore) with the family of a 23-year-old Indian graduate student who was killed after being hit by a speeding police vehicle in 2023.
The victim, Jaahnavi Kandula, was crossing a street when she was struck by a patrol car driven by Officer Kevin Dave.
At the time of the incident, the officer was responding to a drug overdose call and was travelling at speeds of up to 74 mph (119 kmph) in a 25-mph zone. While his emergency lights were on, the siren was reportedly used only at intersections.
Calling the death “heartbreaking,” Seattle City Attorney Erika Evans said the city hoped the settlement would bring some measure of closure to the family.
“Jaahnavi Kandula’s life mattered — to her family, her friends, and the community,” she said in a statement.
Kandula was pursuing a master’s degree in information systems at the Seattle campus of Northeastern University at the time of her death.
The settlement notice was filed last Friday in King County Superior Court. Attorneys representing Kandula’s family did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The agreement was first reported by local news website PubliCola.
The case triggered widespread outrage and protests, especially after body-camera footage surfaced showing another officer, Daniel Auderer, laughing and making remarks suggesting Kandula’s life had “limited value” and that the city should “just write a check.” The comments drew sharp criticism both in the US and India.
Indian diplomats sought a formal investigation, while Seattle’s civilian oversight body concluded that Auderer’s remarks severely damaged public trust in the police department.
Auderer, a police union leader at the time, was later dismissed from service and has since filed a lawsuit against the city alleging wrongful termination. He claimed his comments were meant as criticism of how legal authorities might respond to the case.
The officer who struck Kandula was also fired from the police department. He was cited for negligent driving and fined $5,000.
However, King County prosecutors declined to pursue felony charges, stating they could not prove that the officer had deliberately disregarded public safety.
Officials said around $20 million of the settlement amount is expected to be covered by the city’s insurance.