Seattle, WA
‘There’s nothing for me to do’: Speeding Seattle cop laments after his car kills Indian student Jaahnavi Kandula
Horrifying body camera footage that has been released captured the tragic death of a woman hit and killed by a Seattle police car as she was crossing the street. Jaahnavi Kandula, a Northeast University student, was killed on January 23. Jaahnavi arrived in Seattlefrom Bengaluru, India, in 2021 to receive a master’s degree, and was pursuing a Master of Science in Information Systems at the College of Engineering. She was set to graduate this December.
Behind the wheel of the vehicle that caused the tragedy was Seattle officer Kevin Dave. In a body camera video, one can hear a loud roar from the engine as Kevin’s speedometer showed an acceleration of up to 74 miles per hour. Jaahnavi, 23, was hit at the intersection of Dexter Avenue North and Thomas Street within moments of the car reaching the top speed, according to Fox13 Seattle. She was taken to Harborview Medical Center where she succumbed to her injuries.
‘There’s nothing for me to do right now’
Kevin was reportedly responding to a “high priority” call when the incident took place. He had chirped his siren, but did not have it running consistently, video footage released by prosecutors and published in part by PubliCola revealed. Prosecutors have been weighing charges against Kevin for failing to “warn others of the emergency nature of the situation.” “I f–ked up,” Kevin was heard saying after the incident.
Bodycam footage shows the officer performing CPR on Jaahnavi. “Lights were on. I was chirping the sirens…she was in the crosswalk. She saw me, she started running through the crosswalk. Slammed on my breaks. Started staying back where she should before crossing,” Kevin can be heard telling a responding officer.
Kevin says in another bodycam footage, “I can have a hundred minutes. I could have…there’s nothing for me to do right now, but sit. And that is the f–king worst thing that…you just have to sit here. So many questions that are unanswered, so many questions.” The Office of Police Accountability is continuing to investigate whether Kevin complied with department policy.
‘She was a daughter to a single mother’
Jaahnavi’s family in January said they were “heartbroken” after the tragedy.“Jaahnavi’s tragic and untimely death has left her family and community with a huge hole in their hearts that will never be repaired,” the family said in a statement to KJR-FM radio. “She was a daughter to a single mother who teaches elementary school in India.”
“In spite of earning less than [$200] per month, her mother educated Jaahnavi and encouraged her to [travel to] the United States hoping Jaahnavi would have a better future and a better life abroad,” it said. “Her mother’s hopes and dreams are cut short now.”