Seattle, Washington(USA): A Seattle police officer has been dismissed following the tragic death of 23-year-old Jahnavi Kandula, an Indian graduate student from Andhra Pradesh. Officer Kevin Dave struck and killed Kandula in January 2023 while driving at high speed.
The Seattle Police Department announced Dave’s termination on Tuesday after the fatal incident, which occurred as Kandula was crossing the street. Dave was driving at 119 km/h (74 mph) when the crash happened.
The impact of the collision threw Kandula about 100 feet into the air before she fell. While the department emphasized that the incident was unintentional, it acknowledged the severe consequences of Dave’s reckless driving.
Kandula’s death sparked public outrage. Although King County prosecutors initially found insufficient evidence to charge Dave with negligence, he was later fined $5,000 for reckless driving.
