Tragedy befalls Jaahnavi Kandula's family again, father passes away two days before ₹262 crore settlement from Seattle

A new tragedy has befallen on the family of Jaahnavi Kandula, a 23-year-old Indian student who died after being hit by a speeding police vehicle in Seattle, after her father passed away just two days before the announcement of a $29 million (around ₹260 crore) compensation deal.

Her father, Kandula Srikanth, a retired police constable, died of a heart attack on February 10 in Kurnool district of Kerala, a relative of Jaahnavi told PTI.

“His (Srikanth's) last rites were performed on Wednesday in Adoni, as the family grappled with yet another devastating loss,” the relative said on Friday.

The relative dismissed the question about the settlement money, saying that the family was in mourning, and it was not appropriate to speak about it.

What happened to Jaahnavi Kandula?

Jaahnavi Kandula was killed on January 23, 2023, while crossing a street in Seattle. She was struck by a police car driven by officer Kevin Dave, who was responding to an emergency overdose call.

Investigations revealed that the officer was travelling at 74 mph (119 km/h) at the time of the collision. The impact threw Kandula nearly 100 feet, causing fatal injuries.