The city of Seattle has reached a $29 million (roughly ₹262 crore) settlement with the family of a 23-year-old graduate student from India who was struck by a speeding police officer as she crossed a street in 2023.
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. He had his emergency lights on and had been using his siren at intersections.
“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 on Wednesday (February 12, 2026).
“Jaahnavi Kandula's life mattered. It mattered to her family, her friends and to our community,” Ms. Evans said.
Kandula had been working toward a master's degree in information systems at the Seattle campus of Northeastern University.
